THE SUICIDE SQUAD I: BANG AND BLAME
by johnelbe
Summary: A DC2 universe title! The first Suicide Squad story arc ends with a bang. A deadly mission gone wrong. A secret weapon reveals hidden alliances. Secrets are revealed. Death is all around. In the end, who is left standing?
1. Chapter 1: Bang and Blame Prologue

**The Suicide Squad - Bang and Blame - Prologue: The Pitch**

"_**There are few better measures of the concern a society has for its individual members and its own well being than the way it handles criminals."-**Ramsey Clark _

* * *

**Present Day: Washington D.C. - An undisclosed room in the White House-**

A man walked into the room, handed the President a file, and sat down. "It's done, Mr. President," he said. "The Suicide Squad is dead. The file on them is closed."

"And Waller?" The President asked.

"Waller was confirmed dead last night, Sir." The man replied, "And anyone else associated with her and or the Squad is either dead, or in deep hiding"

"Well," the president said as he leaned back in his chair, pushing the file across the desk in front of him. "I told her that the success of the squad would depend on her ability to be a team player."

"You can't win them all, Sir." the man sighed as he got up and headed towards the door.

"Eiling." the President said, standing up and walking toward the man.

"Yes Sir?"

"Sorry about your lose."

"It was a set back, Sir. But we will be up and running again in no time." Eiling headed out the door. Once outside, he followed a narrow path that led to a limousine parked along side the road. Another man was standing next to the limo, waiting for him.

"You finished briefing the President so soon, General?" the man asked taking a step away from the limo.

"Well there wasn't much to say. Everything was in my report." General Wade Eiling said as he approached the man and stood next to him.

"Everything? Even the senseless deaths of American heroes?"

"Heroes huh?" General Eiling clinched his teeth "Steel, we are talking about thieves, murderers and criminals; not heroes. The day people like that become heroes is the day I resign." Sarge Steel just smiled at him. Eiling looked at him for another few seconds and then opened the back door of the limo. "And another thing..." He started to say as he got in the limo but before he had a chance to finish his sentence, Steel shut the door and the limo drove off. Sarge Steel took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. Someone on the other end picked up.

"Now it's finished, Sir." Steel said and then hung up.

* * *

**_Six weeks ago: Las Vegas, Nevada. 3:17 a.m._**

Richard Flagg Jr. got out of bed quietly so as not to wake the woman lying next to him. He fumbled in the dark to find his pants that were lying on the floor next to the bed. After putting them on, he headed out onto the patio of the third floor hotel room. He barely noticed how warm and dry the air was as he lit his cigarette. When the man sitting on a chair in the dark corner of the patio spoke, it didn't surprise Rick.

"Mama Waller says its time to come home Flagg" the man said as he too lit a cigarette.

"The Wall sent you all this way out here to tell me that Lawton?" Rick replied, unfazed.

"No. I volunteered. I had some things to do in Sin City before we get back to work."

"Work. Right." Rick grunted. "Well, message delivered. Tell Waller next time to call me if she needs me."

"Next time, don't disappear without telling anyone where you are going." Floyd Lawton said as he threw his cigarette out over the balcony. "Oh, and Flagg, tell Ms. Eve Eden" Lawton gestured with his head towards the woman still sleeping in the bed, "Waller wants her on this one too."

"Get out of here Deadshot, before I shoot the messenger." Rick snapped as he took another drag of his cigarette. Deadshot climbed down the balcony and disappeared into the night.

Rick Flagg knew his vacation was over. He had led the Suicide Squad on their first three missions, five members killed in action, two injured, and one lost in action. So far, Amanda Waller's experiment of using convicts and costume criminals hadn't exactly been a smashing success. It also hadn't been a complete failure either. If you want to call using criminals to do the governments dirty work, where everyone is expendable, a win-win situation. Rick followed orders. He worked with whom he was told; it wasn't up to him to decide what was acceptable or who was expendable.

Rick Flagg had spent his entire life following orders. He ate his vegetables when his mother told him to as a child. He did his best in sports just like his Father told him to. He got good grades and excelled in everything he was expected to excel at. It was decided for him that he would be a great asset to his country by following in his father's footsteps and pursuing a career in the military. On the day after graduation, he walked into the local recruiting office and signed up. A week later, his mother left his father. She claimed that he put his career ahead of his family. She was devastated that Rick chose the same career path. Like everything else in Rick's life up to that point, it wasn't a choice he was making. He was the only one that could see that he would be a better soldier then he had been a son. After four years in the Air force, an unnamed agency within the government recruited Rick to work for them. He led several undercover missions, one of which was infiltrating and spying on a group called the Forgotten Heroes. Things didn't turn out so well but Rick completed his mission like he was ordered to. Four months after the disaster with the Forgotten Heroes, Rick was recruited to serve as leader to the newly formed Suicide Squad. That was six months and three missions ago. Rick took one last drag of his cigarette and pitched it over the balcony. It was time to go back to work.

* * *

Today, there are ninety-four federal and more than one thousand state prisons throughout the U.S. with inmates nearly topping out at two million. Six of these prisons are Super Maximum Security Prisons. Of those six, only one is an Administrative Maximum (or ADMAX for short) and it is located in Florence Colorado. Built in 1989, this 562-bed facility is located on thirty-seven acres. The design team was challenged to meet the extensive program and highest security parameters set by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and yet present an image appropriate and conducive to the local architecture. With that in mind, they named the facility Belle Reve; which means "Beautiful Dream" in French. But for most, that's where the dream ends. Belle Reve is designed to be the most secure prison ever built. It houses some of the most dangerous of the dangerous offenders. Most of the inmates are confined to their cells twenty-three hours a day and are not allowed to see or associate with other offenders. Doors are controlled electronically and by remote control. The facility is divided into six varying security levels, based upon each inmate's security classification. There are several support services available to inmates, such as health services, educational programs, gymnasium, and even a chapel. Belle Reve currently houses over five hundred inmates, thirty-eight of which fall under the "super-villain" or "meta-powered" classification. 

Thus, when Amanda Waller went to pitch the Suicide Squad concept to the powers that be, this spartan facility was the perfect choice. Once she had the facility picked out, she then needed the hook to drive home her idea. And the only person who could give it the green light was the president of the United States himself, Maxwell Lord. Amanda knew she could take him on!

Amanda Waller wasn't someone to be taken lightly. She had decided at an early age that unless you could make her do something, she didn't have to do it. She was smart as a whip and tough as nails. Not only did she survive high school while others fell into drugs, gangs, and early pregnancies, she excelled and finished towards the top of her class. Amanda was looking toward her future and nothing could stop her. Almost nothing, except love. Right out of high school, Amanda Blake put her dreams aside and married twenty-year-old Joseph Waller. They settled down in the south side of Chicago in a large housing project. They were in love, and quickly began a family. Joe Jr. and Damita were the first and second born. The twins, Martin and Jessie, were born soon after. Finally, they were blessed with their last child: a baby girl by the name of Coretta.

Times were tough raising a family back then. It seemed like everyone was pushing them down for being poor. But they didn't just get by; they thrived. That is, until tragedy struck. Joe Jr. lost the battle of the streets when gang violence claimed his life at seventeen. A few months later, Damita lost her young life when she was raped and murdered by a drug dealer. Adding insult to injury, the drug dealer, 'Candy Man', got off due to a sloppy legal system that didn't have time to serve justice for the black folks on the South side. Joseph Waller Sr. had had enough. He tracked down his daughter's killer to extract his own justice. Joe killed 'Candy Man', but the dying drug dealer got off a final shot that left Amanda Waller a widow.

Afterwards, she swore that she wouldn't lose anyone else she loved to the streets. Amanda swore to God she would get them out no matter what. She was at an all time low when she went on welfare to keep her and her kids alive. It burned her up inside that she was powerless and needed government assistance to survive. But the bitterness was short lived as she pulled herself and the remaining members of her family up and out of the slums of Chicago. She got her three kids through college and then she herself got a degree. She had at last begun pursuing her dreams she had given up so long ago.

Shortly after receiving her bachelor's degree in political science, she targeted Washington. She found a Congressional candidate who was way behind in the polls. After telling him he had a strong campaign platform but no shot in hell of getting elected, she became his campaign director. Through Amanda's efforts, he won the election and is now a powerful voice in Washington. She stayed on for a couple years but soon found that she was aspiring for bigger things. Amanda Waller found it after she stumbles across files on a former government strike force named Suicide Squad.

* * *

_**Fifteen months ago, Washington D.C. an **_

_**Undisclosed room in the oval office:**_

"Mr. President, thank you for meeting with me today." Amanda said as she sat across the desk from President Maxwell Lord.

"Well, with General Eiling and Sarge Steel both bringing this 'Suicide Squad' to my attention I must say I was a little intrigued." President Lord said as he gestured towards the men sitting on either side of him. "But only a little. So tell me why the U.S. should be involved with what you are proposing here today?"

This was it. After months of planning and research it was time to face the three men who would help decide the fate of her new favorite project. The man on the left was Wade Eiling. He had served in the U.S. army and achieved the rank of General. Eiling was the chief architect of the failed Atom Project in the 1980's but went on to serve as chief military advisor to three presidents including the current chief of staff, Maxwell Lord. Amanda Waller didn't know a lot about Eiling, but she knew his type. His was a type she often butted heads with. But when she was floating around the idea of the Suicide Squad in Washington, Eiling contacted her and informed her that he had the pull to take her proposal to the President. Amanda wasn't too sure she could trust him, but he did have a history with Meta-humans and he was currently an advisor to the Secretary of Defense.

The physically overpowering man on President Lord's right was Sarge Steel. Waller knew even less about Steel than she did about Eiling, but one thing she knew was that he did seem to show up a lot when Meta-humans were involved. She also knew that Sarge was his first name, not his rank. Amanda had managed to dig up a few facts about his 'work' history. He had served in the CIA for a number of years and then disappeared. Steelreappeared a few years later when the 'Lynx Affair' occurred. Since then, he'd been sporting a prosthetic steel hand. Finally, she also knew that he had the ear of the president and could pose a serious threat to her plans.

And last but not least was the third man in the group of men sitting in front of her; President Maxwell Lord. She never liked Lord. He got under her skin. The fact that he had always been there in the shadows, seemingly trying to undermine everything she'd done since coming to Washington, didn't escape her either. But Amanda Waller knew she would have to play it cool and focus on the facts if she was going to get him to go along with this.

"Mr. President, the U.S. has always been involved in this type of situation in one form or another for over one hundred and twenty years." she sat back in her chair and began her pitch. " In the late 1800's, prison officials realized that prisoners could be money makers for their facilities. Some were contracted out by private businesses that paid for the use of the inmates labor and they provided the materials while prison officials supervised the process. Prisons were paid by private industries according to the number and quality of goods manufactured. The prisoners were even thrown a "bone", for lack of a better word, from time to time. That idea was so successful that some industries were entirely prison owned and operated, and goods were sold in the free market. Several prisoners were taken to a work site under armed guard and turned over to a private contractor who made them work. Some prisoners were used for maintenance of roads, highways, public parks and public and recreational buildings. Labor unions and the Great Depression effectively ended prison labor in the early part of the 20th century."

"Mrs. Waller. Amanda. I do appreciate the history lesson but is there a point here?" Lord said with a disinterested look on his face.

"Just a little background information so you can appreciate the situation we are in now" she replied.

"Well then, by all means, continue." He lifted his arm up to look at his watch.

"After that time, prison administrators were mandated by the federal government to focus on security and custody. Prisoner's daily routines became monotonous and frustrating. Prisons became a terrible place to be." Eiling spoke up, interrupting her, "Imagine that." Without pausing, she continued, " Prisons then began to focus on treatments for offenders, which led to psychiatry and medicating the prisoners. Also, tests, psychological profiles, group therapy, behavior modification, shock therapy, and individual counseling were administered. This, plus rising crime rates, led to the overcrowding of prisons, which in turn led to more tax dollars being used to build more prisons. At the same time, prisoners began to demand basic rights and became more interested in conditions of prisons. All of which prompted the facilities to a move away from psychological treatment in prisons and to move towards programs designed to enhance offender's opportunities to become successful citizens outside of prisons. Even still, the crime rate continued to rise over the years, forcing the reinstatement of the death penalty in thirty-eight states and more severe sentences for career offenders. Along the way, the focus has been lost. The reason we need to punish offenders is retribution. It doesn't matter if punishment deters or rehabilitates. We are losing the battle as the prison population grows at a rate of seven percent annually with the ratio of incarceration being four hundred and ten inmates for every one hundred thousand citizens. We need to get back to what works just on a larger scale, and making the prisoners work for their early parole"

"And putting costumed freaks to work for the government is the kind of scale you are referring to?" Lord said using a little less of a condescending tone.

" Sir, the military has been using these people off and on for years." Eiling said.

Lord ignored him and looked over at Sarge Steele, "You on board with this?"

"Mr. President, prisoners have gotten time off for doing less. My only concern is the choice of some of the people who would be involved with this program." Sarge Steele said. The president began to flip through the file in front of him. He stopped when got to a list of names.

"Rick Flagg, Ben Turner, Eve Eden, the list goes on…" Lord said trailing off. "These people are the primary team?"

"Some of them, yes." Amanda replied. "With secondary roles filled with prisoners as different missions require."

"And these people are going to keep the bad guys in line?" Lord asked, shaking his head. "Who's going to keep them in line?"

"A lot of the people involved in this are broken or bent people, Sir. They might get a chance to mend themselves and serve their country at the same time." Waller sat up as she anticipated the final word from Lord.

"Well, I have to admit that I am more then a little intrigued at the idea. But having you in charge of all of this... " Maxwell Lord trailed off, pausing as he stood up. He turned to face Amanda. "The success of this group and _your_ involvement with it will greatly depend on how well you play with others. You do have a track record of going off on your own since you've been in this town."

"I'm sorry Sir, but sometimes there is only one way to get the job done, and it isn't always pretty or pleasant." Waller retorted as she too stood up. " I understand the problems this country, and you as its leader in particular, are facing. There are situations here and abroad that need dealing with; situations that the government shouldn't be involved with. At least not directly involved with. This is where the Squad comes in. They will be a group of agents that can get the job done and are totally expendable. We give the 'super-villains a deal. If they do what they're told to do, succeed and survive, and keepquiet about it, then we will reduce their sentence to time served. The government gets a super team with one-hundred percent deniability if things ever go sour"

"I think you've sold me on the idea enough to give it a trial run." President Lord announced, glancing back and forth between Waller and Eiling. "You will answer to Eiling for now and he will keep me informed on your progress as this gets up and running." Amanda forced a smile as she shook the President's hand. "Thank you, Sir."

"Don't thank me yet. I will be looking for any reason to pull the plug on this if I see fit, understand?"

Amanda gritted her teeth but held her composure as she nodded and headed out the door. Wade Eiling shook hands with Lord and Steel. "I will be in touch." He said before heading out the door himself.

"I don't like this, Sir." Sarge Steel noted as he and President Lord sat back down at the desk. "Do you think it's wise to let her lead a government sponsored group of misfits and super-villains?"

"Don't be so paranoid Steel. They might be of some use. And when they cease to be useful…we've got people in place who can take care of them." President Lord grinned slyly as he glanced at Steel.

"And Waller?" Steel said.

"Waller has been a thorn in my side for years" Lord pauses and then begins to chuckle. " Look at it this way, she is on a course of self destruction, and when it all ends she's bound to get her self killed and take the lot with her." Maxwell looked up at Steel and gave him a reassuring grin. "Relax, Steel. With a name like the Suicide Squad, what could go wrong?"

_**To be continued…**_


	2. Chapter 2: Bang and Blame Part 1 of 3

**Suicide Squad- Bang and Blame - Part One: The Push**

****

"……………We now join foreign correspondent, Kim Yale, live on the steps of the Capital building in Qurac. Kim?"

" Thank you, Tom. Just hours after gaining independence today, Qurac's newly elected President, Sayid Marlo, presented Secretary-General Kefir Josam with a resolution requesting membership in the United Nations." The news report cut from reporter Yale to a video clip of the Secretary-General addressing the newly sworn in Parliament. _"_I will be honored to pass on your request to the Security Council, which I am sure will recommend it unanimously to the General Assembly" Secretary-General Josam said.

"The Parliament was sworn in early Monday morning." Kim Yale continued, "More than 120,000 people celebrated the birth of the world's newest nation at a massive ceremony on the outskirts of Ostrander, which is the capital of Middle Eastern Qurac." The video feed went back to the Secretary-General's speech.

"Membership of the United Nations is open to any country that accepts the obligations specified in the organization's Charter and supports its mission." Kefir Josam announced.

"Having seen the extraordinary support you received from so many nations around the world at last night's festivities, I do not anticipate any obstacle to your membership."

"President Marlo officially inaugurated the new government, which is comprised primarily of the same cabinet members that made up the pre-independence Council of Ministers. Some 300 dignitaries attended the ceremonies, including representatives from the nations of Markoviaand Bialya, among others.The nation of Qurac is located on the Southwest border of the Persian Gulf and faces Iran across from the Gulf. It is also bordered by Kuwait, which is to the North." Kim Yale paused as she walked down the steps of the Capital building. "Qurac is now officially recognized as a country since announcing its intention to separate from Saudi Arabia almost two years ago, after years of civil war. Saudi Arabia has long held a strong anti-US policy and has been a major sponsor of terrorism directed against the west. President Marlo stated that the United Nations membership request was the next step in repairing the wounds the Middle East has inflicted on the world…………"

The man sitting in his office turned off the television in front of him. He picked up the phone and dialed a number. After one ring, someone on the other end picked up. "It's time."

* * *

How many times can a man die before it takes its toll? That was a question that Mitch Shelly desperately wanted the answer to. The first time he died was two years ago. Every time he dies, he is resurrected, but there are things worse than death eternal. There is the long darkness that he faces while a few million tektites work their magic. His mind is aware while the robot constructs that are subatomic in size, repair the damage done to his body. He feels his soul as it attempts to leave him. Mitch can feel its anguished struggle and understands the pain and panic of feeling trapped. He prays his soul will one day win its struggle and break free. His biggest fear is it will give up one day and finally die, leaving him all alone to face the darkness. If he has nothing left to die for, how can he continue to live?

The darkness was slowly replaced with a dim light above him. Resurrection Man had returned once more. He lay still and blinked a couple of times as he tried to recall how he died this last time. Each time he returned to the land of the living, he found it more and more difficult to recall memories. His short-term memory usually came back gradually, but he believed the tiny robots inside him were stealing away parts that linked him to his previous life. He sometimes thanked them for that. Mitch wasn't proud of who he was and the things he had done. That is why he clung to the parts of himself that were decent, the parts that made him a good person once so long ago. That was the kind of person he strived to be once again someday. One of his biggest fears is that the subatomic thieves aren't picky and are slowly stealing away all of those civilized parts. He fears that one day he will wake up and have nothing left of himself, nothing to rebuild his life from, nothing but the shell of a man and a life of a monster.

Mitch moved his head and looked around the room. He recognized it as one of the recovery rooms in the med center at Belle Reve. As he regained his focus, he sat up from the recovery bed and rubbed his eyes.

"The mission." he said to himself, "That was a goddamn mess. I wonder if it got worse after I was taken down?"

"It got worse" A female voice replied, entering the room with Shelly "Then it got better, kinda. Nice to see you have as well."

Mitch Shelly looked up and saw June Moone, known in her other persona as the Enchantress, standing across from him. "Not quiet but I am getting there. What the hell happened out there?"

"We were given some bad intel and we were severely out-numbered. We barely got out of there with our lives. Well, most of us anyway." June trailed off, unable to maintain eye contact with Shelly.

"Hey kid, don't worry. I got blown up but I am back, ok?"

"I just get scared out there. When she, that _witch_, takes over, I can see everything she does. She enjoys the death, the violence, and the chaos. I just curl up inside and I bawl because I can't control her." June bit her lip and choked back a sob.

Mitch stood up and put his arm around June's shoulder. "Hey, you are strong. You will get control over her. I have faith in you, June." Mitch was back. He felt it through June Moone. He cared for this frightened young lady quiet a bit. They had a lot in common and she always seemed to find a way to show him that he still had his human side left, the side that felt compassion. Maybe under different circumstances there could have been something between them, but not now. There was too much that still needed done. But, for now he was content with the fact that she kept him emotionally connected. "So what happened when the squad got back?" Mitch cleared his throat and tried to change the subject.

"Flagg and Waller got into it and he stormed out of here. Nobody's seen or heard from him in a week," June said, laying her head on Mitch's shoulder.

"So, I've been out of it for over a week and you come in just as I wake up?" Mitch jokingly nudged June.

"I have been waiting here all week for you to wake up." June whispered. She wrapped her arm around Mitch's back, trying to get as close to him as possible. Mitch Shelly shook his head and tried to hide his grin as he pulled away from her. "Are you hungry? I need to eat, and then have a word with Waller."

* * *

_**Belle Reve, Super Maximum Security Prison:**_

_**The office of Amanda Waller**_

Amanda Waller was tired and when she was tired, she missed her husband and children the most. It had been six months since she had gotten the approval by President Lord to start up the Suicide Squad. It had been six months of trying to make a difference with her life and the lives of the people she now surrounded herself with. One of those people was the man sitting across from her, Benjamin Turner, otherwise known as The Bronze Tiger. He was her choice for mission's leader, not Rick Flagg. Flagg was Eilings choice. Flagg was a military man and Eiling wasn't going to take the idea of the Squad to the President without a proven missions leader as the front man. Amanda didn't like it but she knew she had to make compromises to get this off the ground. She disliked Flagg but he had gotten the job done so far. She knew it was only a matter of time before he slipped up or snapped. Amanda has seen it happen before to better men than Flagg and when it happened, Ben was going to take over and Eiling could go to hell for all she cared.

All of that may not matter if they had one more mission like one they had last week. They had gotten word that a super powered assassin was holed up in an old merchant marine base in Oran, Algeria. The Squad was sent in to find out whom he was working for and who he was assigned to assassinate. They knew he was targeting a world leader, but they didn't have any inclination as to which one. Once they obtained the information they needed from him, he would be eliminated. The Suicide Squad failed on all counts after an unidentified assault team ambushed them. Mitch Shelly fought them off as the rest of the squad managed to escape before the building blew up. Mitch didn't make it out in time but the assassin and assault team disappeared into the night. They were over powered and out manned from the beginning because they went in without the proper intel. It nearly caused the senseless deaths of the entire Squad in the process.

"How can the goddamn United States government know that he was holed up in Algeria but not know he had an entire squadron with him or know who he was in the first place!" Amanda exclaimed, breaking the silence and forcing Ben Turner to look up at her.

"So, no word from Eiling yet on who dropped the ball on their end?" Turner asked.

"No." Amanda snorted. "He said the squad should have been able to 'adapt' to the situation regardless. He hasn't returned any of my calls since I said I was sending Deadshot over there to deliver a message to him about how well we are able to 'adapt'." She smirked. "Have we heard back from Shaw and Vixen yet?"

"No. They followed the trail from Algeria and are now in France, but they haven't reported anything in the last two days." Ben said, "Do you want the plug pulled on this one?"

"No, not yet." Waller paused, obviously frustrated. "We'll wait. In the meantime, we have other things to do. Do you have the list?"

"Yes." he motioned to the sheet of paper on the desk. "At the top is one Julian Day. AKA Calendar Man"

"Good." Waller stood up as she straightened the collar on her blouse and ran her hands down the front of her pants suit "Lets go make an offer to mister Day."

* * *

_"Je retourne ma belle dame avec la nourriture et la boisson bienfaisantes"_ Mark Shaw proudly exclaimed as he entered the hotel room.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Mari Macabe said shaking her head as she continued to stare out the window of their hotel room in Bordeaux.

"Wish I wouldn't do what?" He asked, grinning as he walked over and set down the bag of food and couple of bottles of water he picked up from the market down the street. "Speak French?"

"No, I wish you wouldn't speak it so poorly" She said reaching out as he handed her a water bottle, "Vous ne m'entrerez jamais dans le lit si vous continuez à ruiner une si belle langue!"

"What was that?" he said as he stopped pulling things out of the bag.

"I didn't stutter." she said standing up "Take over for me I am starving."

Mark switched places with her and Vixen began going through what he had brought back. She stopped when she found a small box of cannelés, which she quickly opened and started eating.

"I don't get it," she said, munching on one of the small cakes. "What if he is long gone by now?"

Mark Shaw ignored her for a moment as he reached over, grabbed a few brioches', and took a bite of one. "He's in there." He replied after taking a few more bites of the bread. "He doesn't know we followed him out of Algeria. He doesn't know that when he and his army split up in Spain we were watching. And he certainly doesn't know we are across the street watching his hotel."

"How can you be certain of all these things?"

"Because we are still alive, that's why!" He grinned as he popped another piece of the sweet bread in his mouth. "And for now, we wait."

"Well I am tired of waiting. I want to know who this guy is and why he is so important." Vixen sighed. The long week of travel and stakeouts were wearing on her.

Mari Jiwe Macabe had always been perceived as a woman who knew what she wanted and went after it. As a young woman in college, a local San Francisco photographer noticed her. He'd told her that she should drop out of college and concentrate on modeling full time. She didn't take his advice. Mari finished college and earned degrees in both business management and fashion design.

She was well on her way to a successful career when she moved to New York and began to model full time. Financing her new business ambitions became easy with all of the modeling money that came in and she was quickly becoming everything she inspired to as a child. Mari hated stereotypes and never wanted to fall victim to what others thought she should be. Because her father traveled on business a lot, she was mostly raised by her mother. They weren't rich by any means, but they weren't poor either. By most standards, her family was what you'd call middle class. She became aware of her family heritage at an early age. It was something she was proud of but never fully embraced.

That was until she heard that her father had died under mysterious circumstances while away on business. She dropped everything and went home to be with her mother. It was shortly after the funeral that Mari was told about her family's true legacy. She was next in line to receive the Tatu Totem, last worn by her father. What she quickly discovered was that it granted her the ability to mimic the "powers" of animals. Soon after, she also discovered her father used these powers to fight against what he perceived to be evil forces throughout the world. Everything she thought she knew about her father, her family, and herself was put into question. She began a journey to her ancestor's birthplace in Africa. When she emerged, she had a new purpose in life and that was to follow in her fathers' footsteps.

Still early in her 'crime fighting' career, she was approached by Sarge Steel. He was the one who convinced her to join a larger, more powerful group who all fought for the same cause. Soon after, Mari Macabe began leading a double life. She continued to model, but when she was needed, Steel would call upon her to work with him. It was Steel who first called her Vixen. Well, he'd actually called her _a vixen_, which literally translated means a woman regarded as quarrelsome, shrewish, or malicious. Mari liked it because it fit her perfectly.

"That's interesting." Mark Shaw stated as he sat up in his chair. A black van had slowly pulled up in front the hotel that was directly across the street from theirs.

"What?" Vixen asked, jumping up and taking a look for herself. Four men dressed in black jumped out of the van. Three of them had what looked like R-4 assault rifles and one was holding a SMAW (Shoulder-launched assault weapon). It was early evening on a weekday and there wasn't too much traffic in front of the hotel. The few people that passed by hardly noticed the men

"What the hell is going on?" Mari asked, "Are they here for our guy?"

"I don't know." Mark said as he reached down and grabbed his power baton. "We need to be ready for……….." Just then there was a knock on their door. It made Mari jump. "Did anyone follow you back here?" Mari quickly walked to the door. She was gripping the Tatu totem around her neck. A range of animal emotions raced through her head. She wasn't always aware of which animal type she was channeling, a lot of times she relied on instinct. She was trying to pick up the scent of the person at the door but all she could smell was panic. At the same time, Manhunter was trying to assess the unexpected situation that was occurring across the street. He watched as the three men with assault rifles headed to the door of the hotel. What happened to the fourth man? As the black van sped away Mark now saw the fourth man kneeling down with the weapon on his shoulder. It was pointed in their direction. He depressed the launch lever and pulled the trigger. "Mari…!" was all he got out as the rocket hit the building and exploded.

* * *

Eve and Rick left Las Vegas the morning after their visit from Deadshot. They drove straight through until they reached the Colorado border. They stopped off at a small diner to grab an early dinner before they continued the drive back to Florence, Colorado and Belle Reve.

For a few brief moments on the drive back, Eve was able to pretend they were a normal couple that was on a normal drive back from a long weekend in Vegas. Of course there was nothing normal about her relationship with Colonel Richard Flagg Jr. She would barely even call it a relationship. Rick Flagg wasn't the type of person she would ever see herself with, but for the last couple of months, that's exactly what had been happening. She didn't know why or how it happened; it just did. There were times like this when it wasn't so bad. Other times, her guilt got the better of her, and she'd think about the last time she got too close to someone. She refused to let that happen again.

The sun had nearly set behind them as they drove east on Interstate 70. It was almost dark and Eve could feel the shadows as they began to awaken all around her. She sensed them, as they grew stronger, slowly stealing the daylight away as the night crept up all around them. The shadows gave her power and she thrived on them. At night she wasn't vulnerable. She didn't suffer from feelings of regret and self-doubt and she had a purpose.

Eve felt Rick's hand as he took it off the steering wheel and gently stroked her hand.

"You didn't have to come." Rick announced bluntly, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Rick, you've told me that already" Eve whispered. There was an awkward moment of silence between them. "Well you sure know how to show a lady a good time" Eve chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah it's been too long…" He trailed off and she smiled at him.

"Well I am sure it will be even longer once we get back to Belle Reve and Waller gets a hold of us." Eve replied.

"Waller won't be mad at you. I'm the one who stormed off; you just followed me." Rick snapped, pulling his hand away from Eve's hand and placing it back on the steering wheel.

"Did Deadshot say why she sent him?" Eve asked. She noticed how quickly Rick shut down just as she'd started to get him to open up. She'd spent the last three and a half days with him and he didn't open up to her once and she didn't push him to.

"No." He said. She noticed him gripping the steering wheel just a little too tightly. Eve knew Rick had a breaking point. She had been studying him since she joined the squad shortly after she did and she quickly learned that certain things could set him off without warning. The last mission nearly drove him over the edge. That's why she agreed to go to Vegas with him for a few days. He needed to cool off and she felt she could use some time off as well. She'd begun to feel like a playing piece on a board game and was tired of getting pushed from square to square. Maybe that's why she connected to Flagg easier then she should have. Their superiors were pushing them both around and it was getting tiresome. Rick kept it in check most of the time, but Eve wasn't one to follow orders blindly. Outwardly it appeared that she did what she was told, but she never did it without questioning herself first. Eve had a breaking point as well, and once they got back she was damned certain that her concerns were going to be heard loud and clear. That meant even if she had to go over Waller's head to do it.

As they neared Belle Reve, Eve leaned back in her seat and let the darkness embrace her. There were few things she could count on in her life. One was the darkness she reveled in. The other was the secrets and lies she'd sworn to maintain. Those were the things she couldn't let go of even if she tried too.

* * *

Belle Reve incorporates the 'campus' style in its overall design. The purpose was to enclose a larger space within a very secure perimeter fence. Within that perimeter, there were a number of established zones. The majority of the zones were large, self-contained units where the inmate's cells were located. Each of those zones was divided based on the security level and classification of the prisoners. The remaining zones provide the service areas for the rest of the facility; including prisoner visits. There were two sections in the visitation center, one for contact and the other for non-contact visits. Neither of the visiting areas at Belle Reve was used very often.

Amanda Waller and Ben Turner sat across from Julian Day in one of the non-contact areas of the center. They were separated by three-inch thick, floor to ceiling, bulletproof glass. Julian sat there for a minute saying nothing. He just smiled and rubbed his wrists where his shackles had been to transport him here from his cell. "So are you two here to tell me in person that the governor has denied me a reprieve?"

"Julian Day. AKA Calendar man…" Ben began to say.

"What is today? I asked the guards to tell me what the date was today and neither of them would. Isn't that a foolish thing to not tell someone? I didn't ask their sisters to the prom. I asked them for today's date. I am embarrassed to say I have lost track in the last couple of months due to the doctors and their miracle drugs that do nothing except prove that they can't do their job. What if unqualified teachers just gave their students drugs instead of teaching…………."

"It's the twenty-seventh of May." Ben announced loudly in hopes of shutting him up. Amanda shook her head in disbelief. "We are here today to offer you a deal…."

"Ah. The twenty-seventh of May." Day said gleefully, interrupting Ben. "Well of course it is. Silly me. All that hassle could have been avoided had they just allowed me the simple pleasure of a calendar in my cell." Ben looked over at Amanda who sat there with a rare smile on her face.

"You wanted this one." She smirked, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

"Mr. Day we don't have a lot of time. We came here today to……….." Ben tried to continue, only to be interrupted again by Julian Day.

"Yes yes, offer me a deal. I heard you the first time. Let me ask you a question first, if I may?"

Ben took a deep breath and slowly exhaled "By all means."

"Do you believe in the power of time? Not time itself, but how we record it? Is it just so we as a civilized society can feel some sense of power over something we have no control over what so ever? Or do we record time so we can look back and see the measure of a man by what has occurred in life before him?" Julian beamed proudly as he sat there staring directly at Turner.

"I don't know." Ben said pausing briefly before continuing. "We are here to offer you a deal. If you can perform some services for your country, survive, and keep quiet about it, we have been given the authority to reduce your sentence to time served. You would then, and only then, be a free man. Do you understand the deal as it has been presented to you?" There was a pause as Julian Day looked at Amanda and then back at Ben.

"May twenty-seventh, say you? There were two women that were both victims of murder 157 years apart. They were both found murdered on the same day, 27th of May, in the same town, one in 1817, the other in 1974. The 26th of May was Whit Monday. They had both been raped before they were murdered and both found dead within 400 yards of each other…"

"Mr. Day I will only ask this once more" Ben said as he quickly lost patience with Day as Amanda continued to look down at her feet. "Do you understand the…"

"Let me finish and then you will have your answer." Day said still smiling as he continued. "They were both murdered about the same time of day, there were attempts to hide both bodies, both girls had visited a friend the evening of Whit Monday and both had changed into a new dress that night. Then both of the girls had gone to a dance. Now, each of the men who were charged with the girls' murders had the same name, and both were acquitted of the crimes. The girls looked strikingly similar and ten days before the second girl was murdered, she had told a friend _'this is going to be my unlucky month. I just know it. Don't ask me why'_. So there's your answer sir!"

Ben just sat there, stunned. He had no clue how to respond or what to say. Amanda stood up and motioned Ben to do the same. Julian stood up as the guards came back into the room "You should have waited until tomorrow." He called after Amanda and Ben as they turned to leave. "On May 28th, 1934, quintuplets were born in Callender, Ontario. They were the first quintuplets to survive infancy. Tomorrow would have been a much better day for me!"

"Wow, you sure did good in there." Amanda laughed as her and Ben left the visitation center. They began to walk back to her office. "Way to keep control of the situation. Pure genius." She shook her head and sighed.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" Ben snarled.

"No, not at all." she said as she burst into laughter again. "You were the bright one who told _Calendar Man_ what the _date_ was!" Amanda stopped walking and tried to control her laughter.

"So that was one of Batman's, wasn't it?" Ben asked incredulous. He let it sink in and then he too began to laugh a little.

"Yeah." Waller squeaked out in between laughs.

"That figures!"

* * *

Tom Tresser was a man consumed by justice. He was recruited to work for the C.B.I. (Central Bureau of Intelligence) right out of college. He was trying to follow in his older brothers footsteps that joined the same agency a few years earlier. His brother Craig tried to discourage Tom from following him but Tom didn't listen. He always wanted to make his brother proud. Although Tom wasn't as talented or gifted as Craig, he played the same position on the varsity football team in high school. It never stopped him from doing his best. People around Tom thought he was being unfair to himself. They told him to follow his own dreams and pursue his own goals. His only goal was to be like Craig. Just before Craig went on an undercover mission, he made one last plea to his brother to get out of the agency before it was too late. Tom didn't listen and he wished his brother well. It was the last time Tom saw or heard from Craig again.

Craig had gone undercover to infiltrate a criminal syndicate called the Council, which was lead by a man only known as The Head. Craig's handler had lost contact with him and they believed Craig had switched sides as was now working for the Council. Tom, not wanting to believe it, went in undercover to search for Craig. His cover was quickly blown. Tom was left for dead and all traces of his brother and the council were gone. Tom recovered and quit working for the C.B.I., but he was determined to never give up searching for his brother. He came close to uncovering the Council once, with the help of Batman. In the end, they pulled the plug on their operation and disappeared again.

Tom continued to do undercover work using the name Nemesis and honed his skills in disguise and espionage. He vowed to never use his given name again until he discovered the truth about his brother and the council. Currently, Tom works with the Suicide Squad under the direction of Amanda Waller.

Tom had been on his way back to Belle Reve when Sarge Steel called him and asked him to make a pit stop along the way. When Tom got there, he met with Steel who asked him to escort an unusual young lady with him back to Belle Reve. Tom asked Steel why he was taking her there. Steel explained to him that the girl wouldn't talk to anyone. Nobody knew where she had been or what had happened. Steel thought that maybe someone at the prison could get her to talk.

The long drive back with his newfound silent partner was a little but it was almost over as Tom stopped outside of the gate at Belle Reve to show his ID. The guard at the gate waved Nemesis through. After Tom had gotten through the compound, he got out of the car and with his female companion in tow. He proceeded to head directly to Amanda Waller's office. The sooner he dumped the girl on Waller, the sooner he could get some sleep. She was starting to creep him out.

"We have a situation. The Counter intelligence Division at the FBI has gotten information that a terrorist group is in possession of a WMD and plans on using it against the United Sates." Eiling said to Amanda Waller over the phone from his office in Washington D.C. Amanda Waller sat in her office twirling a pencil in her hand. She was leaning back in her chair trying to decide how she wanted to proceed with this. Eilings last intel lead the Squad on a disastrous mission just a week ago. That had left a bad taste in her mouth. She didn't like being played with nor did she like going into something without knowing the score or all the players involved.

"What about the NSA?" Amanda inquired.

"The NSA has gathered similar information on the same group involved." Eiling responded.

"Similar? Damnit Wade I thought we went over this already! The Squad is _not_ to be used every time a spook in the intelligence community gets a whiff of a terrorists ass!" She slammed her fist on her desk in anger.

"I think you are forgetting who is in charge here, Amanda. You may run the Squad but I run you!" Eiling was getting irritated and he raised his voice to match hers.

"I am going to ignore for the moment that you just stepped over a line you forgot was there." Amanda said through her teeth.

"This is a complicated matter that needs to be dealt with before things escalate. I need this situation resolved before the National Security Council meets on Monday." Eiling said as he tried to calm his nerves. Amanda sat up in her chair and smiled. She knew that Eiling was struggling of late. He was the chief military advisor to the secretary of defense. The Secretary had been taking a lot of heat lately due to some of the military's skirmishes in Cambodia and South Africa; things that the general public never sees or hears on the evening news. A lot of pressure was being applied and Eiling felt that he might get squeezed out. Now Eiling wanted to pull a power play so the Secretary didn't replace him.

"Ok give me the details and then I want copies of all the NSA and FBI files sent over here to me." Amanda replied after a short pause.

"The terrorist group that has the weapon is called The Jihad, well they were called The Jihad but now are known as 'Onslaught'..." Eiling began to explain but was cut off by Waller.

"I know Onslaught. I know The Jihad. Terrorists for hire. Continue."

"Well they have transformed their 'terrorist for hire' ways into patriots for the newly formed country of Qurac. They now serve as chief body guards for Qurac's newly elected President, Sayid Marlo."

"So, if Marlo has worked so hard to establish himself and his country away from terrorism and Saudi Arabia, why this? Why now when Qurac is an official vote away from being a member of the United Nations?"

"We aren't even sure he is aware of 'Onslaughts' intentions. That is why I am asking…" Eiling paused to take a deep breath. "The President is asking you to have the Squad take care of this. Take out the weapon, including 'Onslaught' if necessary."

"And President Marlo?"

"Find out if he is involved but that's it. The President has supported Marlo and Qurac since it officially separated from Saudi Arabia and he doesn't want a national incident on his hands a week before the State of the Union Address." Amanda sat back in her chair again and grimaced. If there's one thing she knew from her time in Washington it was that there wasn't anyone more dangerous, or easier to manipulate then a desperate man. And Washington D.C. was the capitol of desperate men.

* * *

There was an entire wing of the prison that contained living quarters for non-prisoners who were part of the mission's team. One of the few who used them on a semi-regular basis was Floyd Lawton, also known as Deadshot. Deadshot was relaxing in one of the commons rooms when Nemesis came in.

"Lawton, you seen Waller around?" Nemesis asked.

"What do I look like to you?" Lawton retorted, not even looking up from his seat in front of the television.

"You look like a thug who has been a burden to society." Nemesis said without hesitation. "Where's Waller? I have someone for her." That got Floyd to look up and notice the young woman dressed in cut off jean shorts and a blue button down shirt that was tied off at her waist.

"Gee honey. How'd you get stuck with ole 'Justice for all' here?" Floyd said to the woman standing next to Nemesis.

"She hasn't spoken the entire time she's been with me." Nemesis sighed.

"That how you get all your dates there Tommy boy?" Deadshot laughed. Just then Eve Eden and Rick Flagg walked in.

"Where's Waller." Rick said, not even noticing who was all in the room.

The woman who had been standing behind Nemesis turned and with a shocked look on her face finally spoke with a voice that was soft like a breeze blowing through tall grass. "Rick?" She whispered.

Rick looked over at her with an expression of disbelief himself at the sight of this beautiful white haired woman, "Dolphin?"

Deadshot suddenly seemed amused by the whole situation said, "Wow. The mute girl gets around more then I thought!"

"You know her?" Tom asked Rick.

"Yeah. We spent some time together on a team before I joined up here." Rick replied slowly walking towards the young woman. "But I haven't seen her since then. What are you doing here Dol?" Dolphin began to tremble as Rick reached out for her hand.

"Rick is that really you?" She choked back tears as she looked up at him. Rick took hold of her hand and she began to tremble out of control.

"Hey its ok." Rick said squeezing her hand and moving closer to her. Eve noticed something about Rick she hadn't seen in him during the three days they were together. She saw gentleness as she watched the two of them embrace. Rick felt Dolphin pull away from him.

"No! No!" she began to scream. "You can't be Rick! I saw you..." Dolphin's eyes rolled back and she collapsed onto the floor.

Amanda Waller had been heading towards the room when she heard all the commotion before she walked in. Rick leaned down to Dolphin and rolled her gently on her back.

"Get a med crew in here now!" He shouted.

"Well, this is interesting." Amanda said, looking around the room. "Who's the passed out white chick?"

"She came back with me. Steel said there was someone who might get some answers from her here." Nemesis explained. "I thought he meant you but I can see I was wrong."

"Whatever. I am glad everyone's back." Amanda said before she turned to walk out the door. She stopped and turned back to face the group. "Get this cleared up and meet me in the missions room in one hour."

"I need to talk with you." Tom said.

"So do I." Eve Eden piped in.

"Well then you kids better start writing letters when you are a way from home. No time now. Missions room in one hour!" Amanda shook her head before exiting to room.

* * *

June Moone had left her quarters and was on her way to the mission's room when she heard her name called. It wasn't a normal sounding voice but one that still sounded familiar. She didn't stop walking, but she looked back over her shoulder. There wasn't anyone else there. She continued walking until she heard it again. This time June stopped still in her tracks. Her own voice kind of startled her when she spoke out.

"Is someone there?"

"June it's me." She heard, but this time it was coming in front of her. She didn't see anyone at first in the dimly light walkway. But she somehow knew someone or something was there. She stood still and focused until she slowly began to recognize the figure in front of her.

"June I don't have much time." The figure said as it slowly materialized.

"I don't understand? Why are you like this?" she asked.

"I don't have time to explain. It took a lot of energy to find you at the right time, before everything went wrong. So you have to listen to me closely. There is a crisis coming. I didn't return in time, but you can..."

Mitch Shelly hurried down the walkway that lead to Junes Quarters. He paused when a strange feeling washed over him. He looked up and saw June standing there about twenty feet in front of him.

"June?" he began to move closer to her. "What's going on?" June didn't speak. She just stood there like she was frozen. Mitch reached her and gently put is hand on her shoulder, "June honey what's wrong?" June jumped slightly when she felt his hand.

"Nothing. I am ok." The familiar figure was gone and the message was delivered. She turned around and smiled at Mitch. ""Lets go. Flagg is back and the mission briefing is going to begin any minute now."

* * *

The mission's room at Belle Reve was set up like a small auditorium. There were four rows of seats for thirty plus people and a small stage with a large digital viewing screen.

Rick Flagg sat in the front row with Eve Eden on his left and Bronze Tiger on his right.

"Rick, is your friend going to be alright? She's kind of freaked out back there." Eve said leaning over towards Rick.

"She was a team mate and yes she should be fine. They said she just fainted." Rick answered her, not taking his eyes off the files in front of him.

"You had time to look this over?" Ben asked Rick.

"Yeah. Lets get this started." Rick said as he and Bronze Tiger stood up and faced the small group that occupied the theater. Sitting in various seats in the first two rows were Deadshot, George Harkness a.k.a. Captain Boomerang, Enchantress, Resurrection Man, Larry Bolatinsky a.k.a. Bolt, Nemesis, Crystal Frost a.k.a. Killer Frost, and finally Angelo Bend a.k.a. Angle Man. Amanda Waller stepped through a door and walked over to where Ben and Rick were standing and faced the group.

"Ok. For anyone who doesn't know who I am, I am Amanda Waller and I run the Suicide Squad. You all have been briefed individually and have accepted the deal we offered you. So before we get to the mission brief does anyone have any questions?"

Crystal Frost spoke up. "Yeah I do. A few days ago after you guys came and offered me a chance to reduce my sentence by performing on some missions, I was taken up to the medical facility for some 'so called tests'."

"That's correct. You were given a physical exam." Amanda said to her.

"Then why was I sedated during the process?"

"Can I, Mrs. Waller?" Boomerang put on his Australian accent extra thick. He looked up to see Amanda snarling at him but chose to continue anyway. "It's not as kinky as it sounds you see. Someone escaped on the last mission. So they've inserted some safe guards to ensure it doesn't happen again!"

"Watch it, Boomerang." Deadshot warned, leaning closer to Boomerang, who sitting next to him.

"Relax mate. Shouldn't the lil shelia know what she in for?" Boomerang asked, looking at Deadshot then back at Frost. "See my bloke, Deadshot was assigned to take out strays who wandered too far from sight on missions. He kind of acted like a dog leash." Deadshot slowly placed the muzzle of one of his wrist magnum on Boomerang's thigh. Boomerang stopped and looked down at his situation. "I just thought she should know that you made a blue and have been pulled off guard duty." He continued. "They have inserted small explosives inside the newbies that haven't proven themselves yet, and can be remote detonated if they try to screw up the mission or run."

"Boomer, that is enough!" Amanda said, her voice slightly elevated. "Or I will plant one of those explosives so far up your..."

"Well, at least the pressure is off my mate Floyd here, who has proven to not be such a dead shot after all." Boomerang sneered at Deadshot.

"Bang bang, Boomer butt." Deadshot said just before pulling the trigger and shooting Boomerang in the leg. Boomerang shot up out of his seat and fell to the floor screaming.

"Strewth! That bloody clacker shot me! He just shot me! I am going to kill you!" Boomerang lunged at Deadshot but was stopped by Rick Flagg.

"You had your shot. Now I took mine." Deadshot sat calmly in his chair.

"You went too far, Lawton!" Flagg said pointing his finger at him. "Someone get Captain big mouth out of here!" Captain Boomerang kept screaming as a couple of med-techs carried him out of the room.

"I will get you for this, Deadshot! No one makes Captain Boomerang out for a wanker and lives."

"I've been living on borrowed time for quiet awhile. You get use to it." Deadshot shrugged and shifted in his chair.

"No more stunts, Lawton. Not while your living on my time." Amanda said as the rest of the room slowly calmed back down. "Back to the topic at hand. Yes. Anyone who hasn't proven themself has an explosive implanted in them that can be remote detonated at anytime be either Flagg or Ben Turner. So play nice and do your part. Afterwards you might have the option of staying on with the Squad once your sentence has been served. Any other questions?" Bolt, Angle Man, and Killer Frost all shook their heads no. "Good. Rick, continue."

"There has been recently activity that suggests that a group of terrorists called Onslaught have a weapon in their possession. They are planning to use this weapon against the United States. Our mission is to go into the country of Qurac, immobilize the weapon, and anyone that's gets in the way. We will hit them before they have a chance to leave the country." Rick Flagg explained.

"What kind of weapon do they have?" Mitch Shelly asked.

"We have no solid intelligence to that." Ben replied. "But we have to assume its something pretty big if it has Washington in an uproar."

"Why not send in the military?" Bolt asked.

"Because." Amanda stated. "Onslaught has been recently touted as patriots who helped President Marlo gain independence from Saudi Arabia. It would cause a international incident if it appeared that America was trying to disrupt that."

"Hard to believe the rest of the world thinks they are heroes." Nemesis said, pointing to the pictures of Onslaught that appeared on the digital screen in front of them.

"True. But the rest of the world is celebrating them along with Marlo." Amanda said.

"What do we do with Marlo?" Eve asked.

"Asses what his involvement is in this. Nothing more." Amanda stated, pointing to each person sitting in front of her.

"You will get your specific assignments as well as complete dossiers on the individuals in Onslaught on the plane ride over. We fly out within the hour." Rick said as everyone began to stand up and head out. "I don't like this." Rick said as he stood next to Waller and Ben Turner. "Not after the last mission. Any word from Shaw or Vixen?"

"No. We tried to contact them earlier. Nothing." Ben whispered, looking away from Flagg.

"That's not a good sign. We shouldn't have left them behind like that." Rick said shaking his head.

"They are doing their job. You go and do yours! We will talk about your recent behavior when you get back" Amanda said before walking out of the room.

* * *

Rustam was proud. He gazed inside the dark prison cell and smiled. Everything they have been planning was now coming to fruitation. Marlo was president and soon, very soon, America would face something it hadn't felt in a long time. America would feel defeat. Defeat that would come from the most unexpected place; from the hand of one of their own! The person inside the cell was unable to look up and see the man smiling right outside the door. Instead, they continued to struggle with the bonds that held them, unable to break free. They were unable to see the terrible destiny that lay before them!

* * *

Thirty-five minutes after the mission's team left, Amanda Waller was sitting in her office when she got the call from John Economos in operations.

"Amanda you need to come down here. Now!" He said nervously over the phone.

"What is it? SS-1 is still in the air."

"Just get down here." He demanded before hanging up. That got Amanda's attention. John was the warden at Belle Reve long before she came around. Now he had over taken the job of managing the operations crew for the Suicide Squad as well as remain the warden. She had known him long enough to know he didn't get worked up easily. Something had him concerned. Amanda was standing in the communications room five minutes after she hung up the phone.

"The computer just started talking to us." John nervously paced in front of the main computer terminal.

"What the hell is going on Flo?" Amanda asked the woman who was just sitting there, staring at a computer screen.

"It asked if someone was there." She said timidly.

"What do you mean asked?" Amanda raised her eyebrows and glanced at John out of the corner of her eye. "Did the computer speak to you?"

Flo was unable to answer. Waller was her Aunt and she intimidated the hell out of Florence, so John spoke up. "Yes. A pop-up widow appeared with a message asking if was anyone there?"

"Then I heard a digital voice over the loud speaker asking the same question." Flo said quickly.

"So who is it?" Amanda said now sounding very agitated.

"I don't know, but they asked for you!" John was getting just as agitated as Amanda.

"What? That's ridiculous! Murph, you told me this is a proprietary security system. No one can hack into it, right?" She looked over at Daniel Murphy, head of security.

"Well that's what we…." Murphy began to say before the voice over the load speaker made them all jump a little.

"Hello, Amanda. Nice to meet you." The digitalized voice echoed around the room. It sounded like the old child's toy Speak-n-Spell and it creeped Amanda out.

"Who the hell is this?" Amanda yelled as she looked around the room.

"I am a friend." The voice replied. "Well more like an ally. And you would be wise to treat me as such."

The digital voice rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't like not knowing who she was speaking with. "You better give me one good reason why I don't send a virus right through this line and rip you a new one." She screamed at the computer.

"Mark Shaw, Mari Macabe, and Susan Linden are in trouble. They may even be dead by now." The voice continued, ignoring her threat. Amanda let that sink in. This wasn't some punk who was messing around in their system. This could potentially be a real threat.

"OK. What do you want us to do?"

"Good. Now you know I am serious. They've been following someone for almost a week now and that person is aware of their every move. You may have a leak on the inside of your organization."

"How do we know you're not the leak asshole?" Murphy yelled

"Why would I come to you now if not to help?"

"Ok, so start helping." Amanda said calmly motioning for Murphy to calm down as well. She knew the next minute would be critical if she was going to get any useful information from this guy.

"The Squad is being set-up. You need to call them back from their mission."

" I can't do that." Amanda sighed.

"Well then you better start looking real hard for your leak. I will get back with you soon. If you need me before then, have Flo leave me a message on your main server. I will find it."

"And if we do that who should we address you as?" Amanda said.

"You can call me Oracle."

_**To be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 3: Bang and Blame Part 2 of 3

**Suicide Squad- Bang and Blame - Part Two: Rhyme & Reason**

_**SS 1-The Suicide Squad transport plane- thirty thousand feet above Qurac:**_

It was supposed to be a simple plan. The Suicide Squad was supposed to sneak into the capital building of Qurac, take down Onslaught, disable their secret weapon, and then get out before anyone knew they were there. Nightshade's role was the most important in ensuring their success, at least in her eyes. Her power to create inter-demensional black holes would provide the Squad the ability to strike quickly and without warning. Eve knew they were counting on her, but at the same time she was tired of being strictly transportation. Since joining the Suicide Squad, she had done little more than provide them with the means of moving in and out of situations quickly and efficently. She knew what she was doing was important and in most cases, their lives depended on it. But she also knew she had more to offer then just taxi service. She had been a government operative for years, heading up over a dozen missions and going solo on nearly twice that many.

Eve wondered why she let Sarge Steel talk her into working with a team. Why did she let herself fall into the servant role so quickly when she was capable of so much more? She was a strong independent woman who allowed herself to fall into a trap. Rick Flagg was her current trap. With her relationship with him, she felt forced into another role she wasn't meant to play. The Vegas trip was nice but it was a fantasy. Being back in the real world, facing another dangerous mission, Eve was done with allowing the lines to stay blurred between business and personal. After tonight, Eve was going to make some changes in her life.

She sat back in her seat as Flagg got up to address the group. They were close to Qurac now. Eve wondered if it was foolish to allow herself the luxury of thinking too far ahead, especially with what she knew she had to do tonight. The entire mission rested in her hands, but all she could do was think about Rick. She was mad but she couldn't blame him entirely. She used him as much as he used her. It was just easier to focus her anger on him then admit that the real issue was that her life was out of control and she didn't know what to do. The darkness she clung to for strength and support wasn't enough anymore. She knew she had to find something or someone else for support. Eve shook her head and rubbed her eyes. She had to focus on the situation at hand. After tonight, she would decide what she was going to do with her life and if it would include the Suicide Squad.

"We will land in an air field outside the city of Ostrander, approximately twenty-two miles away from the capital city." Rick Flagg stated as he faced the Squad. "Nightshade and I will acquire transportation and head to the capital building. I will go after President Marlo. Eve will then jump back and grab the rest of the team after she scouts out the locations of Onslaught. The reports we have led us to believe that Onslaught and the President should be in the capital building. It's a safe bet that the weapon is in there as well. Ben you are to go after Raven. He claims to be the first of the new thugee sect. He views his stay in Onslaught as temporary. Raven is looking to rebuild the sect and kill anyone that gets in his way. He worships the Indian goddess of death, Kali. He uses a vast array of weapons and is master of several forms of martial arts and he is potentially the most dangerous non-meta of the team."

"Hmm. Well so am I." Ben said forcing a smile.

"Bolt, you are assigned the Djinn. Little is known about this digital genie except it can appear and disappear without warning striking fast and hard. He uses electricity to manifest dangerous powers including the ability to dispute the nervous system and fry people from the inside out."

"Hardly seems fair…sending me against nothing more then a cheap parlor trick!" Bolt laughed, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms.

"You have room to talk." Killer Frost responded, "Have you seen the way you dress?"

"Ice bitch." Bolt said as energy crackled from his fingertips.

"You too better take this seriously or I will blow you both up right here and now." Flagg shouted, shaking his finger at Bolt and Killer Frost.

"Don't make promises you can't keep honey." Killer Frost said seductively as she winked at Flagg. Flagg ignored her and continued.

"Frost your assignment is Angi. He is a fire wielder. His origin is unknown but is named after the Hindu god of fire. He is able to produce fire with the snap of a finger and project it towards his targets by sheer will power alone with deadly results."

"Fire and Ice. Sex and hate. Should be a blast." Killer Frost said with a chill in her voice.

"June, the Enchantress's target is Badb. I know the file on her doesn't state much but be advised, she is very dangerous. She is named after the Celtic god of war. Word is, she took out an entire village in Ireland by herself. Over two hundred dead."

"I…she will be ready." June said nervously.

"Angle Man you are going after Jaculi. Rustam uses him to guard the perimeter of the capital building. He has the ability to move at super-speed in spurts of three seconds at a time. He uses an assortment of javelins as weapons. Don't be fooled by the fact that he is barely a teen. He is very deadly and has very little sense of right or wrong. He can be on you before you know what has hit you." Flagg continued, turning to the next member of the Squad.

"Hey, taking out speedsters is my specialty. Even old Digger would tell you how I took out the Flash in less then three seconds. If Digger were here that is."

"Right." Rick said as he continued, "Floyd, you are going after Rustam. He is named after the mythic hero of Persian folklore but he is only a hero is in own eyes. He is Arab and viewed by many to be a traitor to his own people when he signed on with Marlo's mission to separate Qurac from Saudi Arabia. The United States government can place him with or in charge of over eleven terrorist/liberation groups over the past 16 years. No one is certain what part he plays in the new Qurac, but with Marlo gaining world wide support for orchestrating the separation from Saudi Arabia, be certain whatever role it is, it serves the greater good for himself alone. He can summon a blazing scimitar. We don't know where he summons it from, but it can supposedly cut through anything. I don't care to test that. He is the leader of Onslaught so I want him taken down first and fast."

"He won't even see me coming." Floyd Lawton said as he hid his grin behind his mask.

"Tom, after everyone else is in position I want you and Mitch to find this weapon and take it out." Flagg turned and gave his orders to the last two members of the Squad.

"I don't like the idea of going in on this blind. Not knowing what the weapon is concerns me." Tom, also known as Nemesis, pointed out matter of factly.

"That's why Mitch is tagging along. You're the brains and he's the power. Whatever it is, between the two of you, you should be able to disable it."

"Thanks, Flagg." Mitch said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean." Rick sighed impatiently, "While the rest of you are completing your assignments, Eve will play go between. She will be picking you up or dropping you off for back up as needed. She will be wearing a two-way earpiece so you can use your communicator to contact her when you complete your assignments."

"There won't be the need for any back-up on this end." Bolt stated, a little too proudly.

"Good. I want this quick and efficent. We are treading on foreign ground people. If anyone is caught, the U.S. government will disavow any knowledge of our activities in a country that is days away from acquiring membership in the UN."

"How is it possible that a nation of terrorists gained an audience with the UN council in the first place, let alone be up for membership?" Angle Man asked.

"Your freedom doesn't have anything to do with the politics involved. It does have to do with you successfully performing your part at the task at hand." Flagg said, clearly getting annoyed but attempting to keep it in check. " Now if there aren't any more questions, we will be landing soon so get ready." Rick walked towards the back of the super jet and stopped when Nemesis reached out for his arm.

"I was wondering that myself, Flagg. Something doesn't add up here. Where did the Wall get her intel that Marlo had this weapon? And who said they were going to use it against America?" Nemesis asked suspiciously.

"I don't know and I don't care." Flagg moved Nemesis' arm out of the way.

"Well you better start caring. Marlo is a hero in his people's eyes and around the world. People aren't going to be pleased if they find out we are trying to piss in their pool." Nemesis called after him. Flagg didn't have a response but instead continued towards the back of the plane.

* * *

Extreme patience; it's the one quality that Susan Linden embraced the most. As the Black Orchid, Susan was the ultimate spy. She could impersonate nearly anyone. Her preference was to blend into the background impersonating someone who wouldn't be noticed and then wait. Susan found it easy to become someone else because she didn't know who she is or even how she got to be like she is. She has been looking for the answers for several years now to no avail. Perhaps her patience had been a drawback in that case. Maybe the truth was that she was scared of what she would find if she was to discover the secrets of her origin. At this moment, Black Orchid wasn't as concerned with where she came from as much as where she was going. Right now, she felt trapped and that wasn't a situation she liked to be in. For once, she wasn't patient and it could very well be the last mistake she ever made. How did she get into this situation? 

Susan had waited for over a day inside the luxury suite on the top floor of Le Maison Bord'eaux. Manhunter, Vixen, and her had been tracking a killer for hire for several days. They finally caught up with him in Bordeaux, France. He checked into the suite alone yesterday as hadn't left his room once. No room service, no escort service, not even a sign of the strike force the Squad ran into in Algeria. Susan decided to take the direct approach and knocked on the door of the suite.

"Go away." She heard a muffled voice from inside say.

"Monsieur, le service m'a envoyé." Black Orchid said softly with her best French accent. A few seconds later she felt the door unlock and open.

"I said I was not to be disturbed." The man said as he stood there in the open doorway.

"Le service m'a envoyé." Susan repeated as she stood there in a disguise she hoped would pass as a French prostitute.

"I didn't call for any damn service. Stupid French." The man mumbled as he began to shut the door to the suite.

"American yes?" Susan said as she allowed just a touch of her pheromones to be released in front of him. That should change his mood a bit and allow her to persuade him to let her in.

"Yes American!" he said, looking her up and down.

"Come in yes?" Susan asked trying to figure out who he is. He looked familiar but she couldn't place his face.

"Yeah. Get in here." He said as he motioned for her to enter. "Go sit on the bed and don't touch anything."

"Merci monsieur." Black Orchid walked into the room and quickly scanned the very large open suite. There was a dinning area to her right, a living area in front of her with a large bed just past that. Off to the left was a table with a laptop and a cell phone on it and there were several large cases on the floor next to the table. As she moved over to the bed and sat down, she noticed a bathroom off to the side with a uniform hanging on the door. It was then that she figured out that this man was Deadline, one of the top professional killers in the world. He was deadly with any weapon but just as dangerous up close. He supposedly had extremely dense skin and lighting fast reflexes. Susan was pretty fast and invulnerable to a point herself, but she did not want to test herself against this man today. She was going to have to find out whom it was he was hired to kill and then get out of there quickly.

"Well, sweetheart lets make this quick." Deadline smirked as he walked toward Susan who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Champaign?" She asked, pointing to the cooler in the living area.

"Sorry sweetheart. Lets just get to it. I have things to do and you gotta go." He stood in front of her and reached out to stroke her hair. There was a ring from the cell phone next to the laptop on the table.

"Get comfortable I will be right back." He said over his shoulder as he walked over and picked up the phone.

"Yeah." He whispered into the phone and he sat at the table. Susan jumped up and headed toward Deadline. She walked softly but quickly as she came up behind him.

"Really. Well that makes this even more interesting. Get over there now. I will take care of this here and we will head out." Deadline hung up the phone. Susan was a few feet away from him where he sat with his back to her. She would have to act quickly. She could release only small amounts of pheromones at a time and the effects didn't last very long. She guessed that the effects were just about gone on the account of Deadlines dense skin.

Deadline set the phone back on the table and turned around so quickly she never saw it coming. He had his hand on her throat and began to squeeze. It usually took her full concentration to maintain her disguises and her fair skin was slowly changing back to its normal magenta hue. He was extremely strong. Susan felt the grip he had on her throat tighten as he forced her back toward the bed.

"As you may have guessed that was an associate of mine. They want to know why you people keep insisting on getting in our way." Deadline snarled as he threw Black Orchid unto the bed. "Who hired you to? Was it Marlo? Did he figure out he was a mark?"

Black Orchid quickly regained her composure and rolled off the bed with her back against the wall. She got what she needed. Now it was time to get out.

"Well it doesn't matter Sweetie. Your friends will be dead in a few minutes. My associates know they are right across the street. Let's see if you can get to hell first to greet them." Deadline lunged towards her. She leaped over the top of him but he was too quick. He grabbed her ankle and flung her across the room. She hit the table and crashed into the wall. She had to get out of there and warn Manhunter and Vixen. Black Orchid knew that she was no match for Deadline in this close of an environment. She was too far from the door. Her only hope was the window. Deadline ran toward her as she ducked around him grabbing his arm and, using his own momentum, forced him into the wall headfirst.

"You're a feisty one ain't yeah?" Deadline laughed. Susan didn't look back as she headed towards the bay window. As she braced her self to smash through, she felt Deadline grab hold of her waist, forcing them both out the window of the fifth floor hotel suite. Deadline's grip on her was so tight that Black Orchid couldn't maintain flight and they both fell toward the trees and walkway below. Deadline didn't let go until they smashed through the trees. Susan felt a couple of ribs snap and tasted blood in her mouth. After a minute, she slowly mustered enough strength to get up and looked for Deadline. He was laying about ten feet away. She limped over towards him. He was lying on his back with a large tree branch impaled through his chest. Blood was pouring out of his mouth as he spoke.

"I will kill you bitch." He coughed and attempted to reach up towards her.

"I believe you." She said before twisting the branch in his chest and walking away, leaving him there on the sidewalk to die. Her communication device had been damaged in the fall. Black Orchid was in no shape to fly so, as quickly as she could, she ran on what felt like two broken ankles. She had to get to Mark and Mari before Deadlines cohorts could. It was several minutes before she was across the street from the hotel they were in. There was no way she could go through the front entrance without causing a scene so she slipped through a side entrance and headed up to the third floor. She was ready to collapse when she reached their door and knocked. Vixen opened the door and gasped when she saw Black Orchid. But she didn't have time to say anything before Mark yelled out to her. He was diving toward her as the rocket hit the building and exploded. The blast threw Black Orchid through the wall into the room across the hall. Vixen lay on top on Manhunter as the roof collapsed all around them.

* * *

Rick and Eve made it to the capital building in less than thirty minutes. They made a few blind jumps along the way. Eve didn't like using the dimensional warps when she didn't have a target exit to lock onto from memory. She found herself pushing and testing her limits more and more lately. 

It was late at night and the street outside of the capital was empty. This country had just spent the last week celebrating their freedom from Saudi Arabia but post party liter was the only thing blowing around out here tonight. Eve dropped Rick off inside to go after Marlo before she embarked on her hunt to track down Onslaught. Once she pinpointed their location, it would only be a matter of jumping back to get the squad and dropping them off to go after their assigned members.

Rick began to make his way through the capital building. Stolen security photos gave him a good idea where Marlo would be. He had to get to him before the members of Onslaught knew they were there. They had the element of surprise on their side but they had to act quickly before their secret weapon could be used. Rick was outside of the lit door that he was certain was Marlo's office. He stood outside and listened for a few minutes before determining Marlo was inside and he was alone. He entered quickly and shut the door behind him. He pointed his gun at the surprised Marlo who was sitting at his desk.

"Good evening Mr. President. Don't get up." Flagg said calmly as President Marlo started to get up out of his chair.

"An American invading my country, why am I not surprised? He sent you didn't he?" Marlo looked up at Flagg and smiled.

* * *

Deadshot was in place. He crouched down against a stone wall in the vast sub basement of the capital building. Rustam was known to sleep only a few hours and never in the same place twice. Now it was just a matter of time before he was on the move. After a few minutes, Floyd got up to change his position. He slowly began walking down the dimly lit hallway when without warning be felt a blast of heat behind him as a flaming sword struck him from behind.

* * *

Eve dropped Angle Man off about 100 yards from the capital building. "Jaculi patrols the perimeter so he shouldn't be too hard to find. Just keep your eyes open and be ready. We don't want him to alert the others we are moving around inside." Eve said as she prepared to head back to the rest of the team. 

"Hey you guys didn't bring me along for my charm alone now did you?" Angle Man said with a grin on his face that Eve thought was almost as goofy as his costume. "Hey I have one question before you go babe."

"Make it fast." Eve sighed.

"Do you think Flagg and the Tiger could detonate these crappy little explosive things they decided to stick us with us from here? I mean if they were all busy how would they know whether or not we're 'behaving'? Or what if something happens and they set it off accidentally?" Angle Man rolled his eyes.

"There won't be any accidents. Do your job and nothing will happen, but if you ever call me babe again I will drop you off someplace so nasty you will cry and beg like the sniveling little bitch you and I both know you are." With that Eve opened up a dimensional black hole and stepped through.

"I think that dame digs me." Angle Man ran his fingers through his hair before heading off to look for his target. _I love American women._ Angelo thought as he walked away. _But I don't believe she is as tough as she thinks. A woman like that just needs a strong man. Hmm. Like me, maybe. Yeah, I'd be just what that babe needs. _Angelo stopped when felt a breeze blow past him. He looked up and saw Jaculi standing about ten feet in front of him with a Javelin in his hand.

"What are you doing here?" Jaculi said in Arabic.

"Well aren't you just a primitive looking little snot with your sharp pointy stick?" Angle Man cocked his head and grinned.

"American." Jaculi yelled as he raced towards Angle Man.

"I am Italian you little twit. Show some respect." He said before pointing his angle weapon at Jaculi forcing him to turn sharply towards the sky. Angle Man watched as Jaculi continued to run on what must have seemed like an invisible wall going straight up until he was nothing more then a speck in the sky. Angle Man pulled his weapon down and began to walk away thinking about Nightshade again. _Yes, a woman like that needs to be shown there is only room for one man in a relationship._ About thirty feet behind him, Angelo heard a splat. He just shook his head and kept walking.

* * *

Ben Turner, the Bronze Tiger, found the sleeping quarters for Onslaught on the east end of the capital building. He stayed to the shadows as he sought out his prey, Raven. He was starting to believe Eve was wrong about where he was, when a shadow stepped out in front of him. It was Raven. 

"I request your name." He said standing no more than a couple of inches from Bens face.

"You will receive no such honor." Ben said as he attempted to strike a blow to Raven's temple. Raven quickly countered. After several minutes of intense hand to hand combat, Raven stood back and smiled.

"My mistake little tiger. I should have recognized one trained by the League of Assassins."

"And your training suggests that we are on equal footing. There is no point in continuing this battle." Ben said as he continued to take in slow steady breaths. "As we fight, the rest of your team is being taken out one by one. We are nearly finished here and so are you."

Ravens laugh almost startled Ben as he took a half step back while still maintaining his stance.

"Rustam is a foolish man but one of great vision. I knew they would send someone once they determined that the serpent was planning to strike at its master." Raven said slyly.

"What are you talking about?" Ben asked.

"Didn't you realize when you gave him to us we would just turn around and use him as a first strike against the West?"

"Use who?"

Raven laughed again. "You don't honestly know do you?" Ben lost control and charged Raven.

* * *

"Tom, I wasn't able to find anything that looked like a weapon on my first sweep." Eve said as she stood inside the capital building with Nemesis and Resurrection Man. "I didn't want to get noticed before I had a chance to get the rest of the Squad in place." 

"That's ok." Nemesis said to her. "This is as good a place to start as any."

"This is the lowest level of this place?" Mitch asked looking around. "Didn't seem this big from the outside."

"Well, this is as good a place to start as anywhere." Nemesis repeated.

"Looks more like a dungeon down here then a government building." Mitch said.

"Well, I am going to check on the others. Let me know if you find anything." Eve said before slipping through a black hole that closed up behind her.

June knew she had to say the witch's name. Like a person taking in a deep breath before jumping into the water, June said it. "ENCHANTRESS." A green flash of light engulfed June and she felt herself burn away like flash paper until the Enchantress was in control. Though the transformation was nearly silent, the crackle of energy and magic got the attention of Badb. Enchantress looked down and saw a small red headed girl no more then ten years in age standing in front of her. Enchantress stood there for a moment staring at Badb. Was this the one they sent her after, this small child?

"Why do you just stand there little one. I am not going to hurt you." Enchantress was kind of confused by the words that came out of her mouth. She leaned down to the girl and put her arms around her. "There nothing to be afraid of anymore."

"Yes there is." Badb said smiling.

* * *

Larry Bolatinsky was dropped off and quickly got to working looking for the Djinn. He took his work seriously when the situation called for it. He just didn't feel this magic genie was up to par with his talents. He was a professional nonetheless and would do what he had to in order to serve his time with these circus freaks and psychos! Once he was done, he would get back to business killing folks for money. No more government bozos. Though he may have to make a go at the frost queen before it's all said and done. 

Bolt open the door to what appeared to be small computer lab. He walked up to a computer terminal and started tapping on some keys.

"Come out, come out wherever you are magic idiot!" Bolt said loudly, looking around the room. A hand reached out from the monitor in front of him and grabbed hold of his head and began to squeeze. Bolt pulled back and the Djinn fully emerged from the monitor. He stood nearly ten feet tall. Bolt began to wildly shoot streams of electricity at everything in the room. He quickly knocked out the lights and was able to escape the Djinn's grasp.

"What the hell freak! Sneaking up on someone like that." Bolt shouted as he crouched down in the dark. "I just came to talk."

"You are not welcome here." The Djinn said in a calm calculated voice. "Leave or be destroyed."

"Not likely. My freedom depends on me frying your stupid ass." Bolt jumped up and fired a blast in the direction he heard the genies voice come from. The lights flickered a bit then returned. Bolt stood up and saw the Djinn floating in front of him.

"Non compliance is determined. Destruction is the only alternative." The Djinn said.

Bolt began to tremor. He felt a tingling in his left arm before he dropped to his knees. He was having a heart attack.

* * *

Killer Frost found her foe sound asleep in his room. She stood next to his bed looking down on him. _So much for fire works_. She thought as she reached out and touched his arm. She slowly felt the heat begin to leave his body giving her the warmth she always craved. Angi slowly opened his eyes as he became aware what was happening to him. 

"Wakey, wakey sleepy head." Killer Frost said in a soft singsong voice as she continued to drain the heat from his body. Angi didn't move, but Frost noticed a smile as it began to form on Angi's face. Frost was confused by this but was quickly distracted as she began to feel warmer, much warmer. Too warm in fact. She tried to pull away when Angi reached up with both arms and pulled her of top of him. It was too much! Frost was burning up inside! It took all her strength and will to form an ice shard, which she quickly raised up and aimed for Angi's chest. It punctured his skin but began to melt the harder she pushed down on it. Soon it was nothing but water, then steam.

Angi continued to smile as he held her down on top of him. Something changed inside of Frost. She felt something she hadn't for a long time. She quickly gave up resisting and pressed herself against him. She began to kiss and grind against his warm body. He embraced her as the heat from his body changed to passion. Frost felt more in control then she ever was in her entire life. Angi tilted his head back as Frost began to kiss his neck. The steam that was rising off his body was slowly replaced with frost as she continued. Killer Frost sat up on top of him. Angi looked up to see an icicle in each her hands. She raised them up and quickly shoved them into each one of his ears until she felt them break off deep inside his head. When she saw his eyes roll into the back of his head and blood trickle from his noses, she was satisfied.

"Hmm. I guess men really can only use one head at a time." She stood up and adjusted herself. Killer Frost took one last look at Angi before heading out. "Thanks honey. That was hot."

* * *

Amanda Waller lay in a roll out bed in her office. She never went home while the squad was away on a mission and she rarely slept, no matter how hard she tried. The buzzing of her Blackberry forced her up. She flipped on a light and walked over to her desk. She picked up the device and read the text message: 

_A-_

_Marlo is the target. Deadline was the shooter. He's been taken out. Send a retrieval team for pick-up. There are two of us and one hospitalized - status critical._

_-O_

Amanda picked up the phone. After a few rings, someone on the other end picked up.

"Flo get a team to pick up the group in France with a med unit in tow. Also get me Eiling on the phone now!" Amanda barked the orders to her niece.

"Yes, Sir." A groggy Flo yawned.

Amanda hung up the phone. Something wasn't right and she was determined to get to the bottom of it!

* * *

"There's nothing down that way but more empty cells." Mitch said as he walked back over to where Tom was standing in front of a door. "I told you it was a dungeon down here." 

"Yeah a dungeon." Tom said running his hand down the door. "But if there is nothing down here then why is this door sealed shut?"

"What are you thinking?" Mitch asked.

"I'm thinking we check behind this door. You have any other powers than flight at the moment? Something that might help us see what's behind this thing?" Tom looked over at Mitch.

"Not sure." Mitch shrugged.

Tom stepped out of the way. When Resurrection Man dies he usually gains new powers, but he isn't always immediately aware of what those new powers are. He discovered he could fly before they left for Qurac but he wasn't too comfortable with using that one yet. Since he was literally blown up last week, he was expecting a firepower of some kind.

"Nothing." Mitch sighed. "Let me try the door." Mitch reached the handle and pulled. The stone frame began to give way to the metal door as Mitch ripped it open.

"I guess this means you really are the smart one, huh?" Mitch smirked as he and Tom cautiously entered the dimly lit cell. Nemesis took out a small flashlight and began to scan the cell. He stopped when the light reflected off something in the corner.

"Is that who I think it is?" Mitch's whispered.

"Huh. Yeah, it's him. I don't know how or why, but it's definitely him." Nemesis whispered back. "You better call Eve."

* * *

Enchantress was confused. She couldn't focus. She tried to conjure up a containment spell but couldn't remember how. She was afraid. What if she got it wrong? What if she hurt herself or the girl? She didn't want to hurt anyone. She didn't want to be alone. Everyone in her life left her. Everyone around her died. What was she going to do when she was all alone? Wait, those weren't her thoughts, those were June's. 

"Get out of my head you pathetic little weakling. I am in control. Not you!" Enchantress began to yell. "We don't need anyone. I don't need anyone. So stay out of it!"

June attempted to regain focus. It was like looking through a haze but June could see through the Enchantress's eyes. What she saw was fear and hatred. Badb stood and watched as Enchantress fall to her knees. She looked up at the little girl and smiled.

"You have been a very bad little girl haven't you?" Enchantress slowly began to stand. She reached up and backhanded Badb. The girl fell and landed flat on her back. She lay there and began to cry.

"Is that how you do it? Make people feed into their fears? Tap into their emotions until they lose control? Well guess what little girl that may work on baby June, but not me. No not me!" Enchantress screeched as she rose to her full height and towered over the girl.

She leaned down and put her hands on Badb's neck and slowly began to squeeze. Her eyes turned from green to red as Enchantress tightened her grip.

"Are you still watching June? Are you? Is that what you are afraid of? Afraid to lose control? Destroy yourself? Destroy the world? Is it? Well get a good look because this is the future. There is no turning back. There is no where left to hide once I snap this scrawny little bitch's neck!"

"Step away from her!" Nightshade demanded, standing behind Enchantress. "Now!"

"You don't understand. She is evil." Enchantress howled as she squeezed Badb's neck while staring into her eye. "I have to kill her before it's too late!"

"It's over. Subdue her and then say your name! NOW Enchantress!" Eve moved closer to Enchantress, ready to contain her if necessary. "Say your name now!"

Enchantress quickly spoke a sleeping spell and Badb was out cold. "It's only a matter of time, isn't it, June? Only a matter of time…"

"ENCHANTRESS!" She yelled and quickly collapsed next to Badb.

"Crazy witch." Eve sighed, just as her earpiece buzzed.

"Eve, you need to get back down here now." She heard Nemesis say.

"Did you find the weapon?" she asked.

"I am afraid so." Tom responded.

"Why do you say that?" Eve asked, a little hesitantly.

"Eve, just get down here. It's Captain Atom."

* * *

It took Eve less then five seconds to go through a dimensional hole and reach the sub basement. She stood there stunned. She couldn't believe her eyes. In the corner of the cell was Nathaniel Adam, known to the rest of the world as Captain Atom. She ran over to him and dropped to her knees. He was bound to the wall by his wrists and ankles with mechanical shackles. 

"What's wrong with him? How did he get like this?" Eve gasped.

"Whatever he's hooked up to is keeping him sedated and probably suppressing his powers." Mitch said.

"Well get him out of this." Eve cried, pulling on the restraints.

"Eve, wait. We don't know what that will do to him." Tom told her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Damn it, Tom I don't care!" Eve sobbed, pulling on the restraints even harder. Mitch looked at Eve and then Tom and made up his mind. He walked over and pulled the shackles off Atom and stepped back.

"Nate honey wake up! Wake up!" Eve whispered, holding Captain Atom in her arms.

"What do we do, Tom?" Mitch asked.

"I don't know what has been going on here. But we need to gather up the others and get out of here." Tom crouched down next to Eve and Captain Atom.

"Why? I thought he was working undercover somewhere. I never thought to ask." Eve mumbled, trying to figure out how Captain Atom had gotten into this situation. She stroked his silver hair as she helped him into a sitting position. "How many months has it been since we said good bye? How long have you been like this? Marlo…"

"Lets get him out of here and…" Nemesis trailed off when he heard Captain Atom start to speak.

"Eve?" He whispered. "I am sorry."

"It's not your fault. We are going to get you out of here and everything is going to be fine." Eve wiped the tears off her cheeks and regained composure.

"No. It's too late. Get out of here now." Atom said, slowly trying to stand up.

"Atom, stay still, your weak. We will get you out of here." Nemesis promised as he reached out and grabbed Atom's arm.

"Let go of me. You've done enough. Everyone has done enough. Now its time for me to do something." Captain Atom growled and began walking towards the doorway.

"Hold up there, mister." Resurrection Man stepped in front of him "We are in the middle of an OP here. We go out together."

"Who's going to stop me, you? You made a mistake, I wasn't made weaker. I was made

stronger. Stronger then I have ever been. Now it's time to finish this."

"Nate wait. Calm down a minute I know you've been through a lot but we will finish this together." Eve was worried now and she wasn't ready to let Captain Atom walk out the door in anger.

"Sorry, Eve, its too late. I've got to wipe them out this time so they can't hurt me or anyone else again! And I will destroy anything or anyone if I have to in order to get to Lord and Eiling!" Atom shoved Mitch out of the way and took off out of the cell and down the hall.

"Damn it!" Nemesis shouted. "Eve, pull everyone out now! This missions over!"

* * *

Rick stood there with his gun pointing at President Marlo. "So your saying your not surprised? Why? Because you duped the U.N. and the rest of the world into thinking you're a patriot? Your nothing more then a terrorist." 

"You've got it all figured out so it doesn't really matter what I say does it, Colonel Flagg?" Marlo said smugly.

"Your right it doesn't matter because your going to tell me where the weapon is and what your planning to do with it?"

"Weapon?" Marlo began to laugh. "Is that what he told you?"

"He who?"

"You don't know? Well this is strange. You westerners are less trusting of each other then you are of your enemies." Marlo locked his fingers together and leaned back in his chair.

"No more games, Marlo. It's over. As we speak, your group is being taken out one by one. Then we are taking you into custody where you will answer some questions."

"You have no authority to take me anywhere. Besides, I have not committed any crimes."

"Where's the weapon?" Flagg demanded.

"That's twice you asked that. There is no weapon. You have nothing, Flagg, so you and your little team can head back and tell Eiling the deals off."

"What did you say…"

"Don't say another word to him!" Rustam entered the door with his gun raised at Flagg. "Put it down or I put you down."

"Move another inch and I will shoot your precious President where he sits!" Flagg cocked his gun and kept it pointed at President Marlo.

"Do it and you will unleash a hell your country has never seen the likes of!" Rustam snarled.

"You can't threaten me anymore Colonel" Marlo said, enunciating every word. "Eiling wouldn't dare take me on. Even he and his organization aren't stupid enough to take on the Ten. So drop your weapon and walk out of here now."

Flagg spun around towards Rustam when he heard two shots ring out. He watched as Rustam hit the ground with a thud and he saw blood start to seep from two bullet wounds in Rustam's chest.

"Lets go Colonel." Deadshot said, leaning against the doorframe. Flagg noticed that Deadshot was badly wounded, but said nothing. He just nodded to him as he followed him out the door.

* * *

Bronze Tiger was full of rage and didn't know why. He felt out of control. Maybe he stayed in control too often. Why was he always expending so much energy to keep it in check? This was the release he needed. This is what he was trained for. He was trained to kill. 

Ben had Raven right where he wanted him with his back against the wall. He was ready to deliver the killing blow when the communicator in his ear buzzed.

"Ben this Eve. The mission is a bust. We have to go now."

Ben stood there for a moment. He then turned and began to walk away.

"You are turning your back on me?" Raven called after him, using the wall to support himself . "A man who is afraid to kill isn't a man at all!"

"It's over Raven."

"It won't be over until I am standing over your dead body."

"You had your chance. If you could, you would have."

"Don't be where I can find you little Tiger. I will kill you next time!"

* * *

"Do you know what time is it?" Eiling snapped into the phone. "This better be important." 

"Your damn right it's important." Waller snapped back. "I just got word from the Squad that their mission has gone south and they are preparing to head back from Qurac."

"Did they take out the weapon?"

"No! He took off and it appears he's heading your way."

"He?"

"Yeah! One of yours, Captain Atom, and he has mad on for you and President Lord. He was being held captive in the Capital building of Qurac." Amanda screamed at Eiling.

"I wasn't aware of that. I thought…"

"You better stop thinking and start giving me some answers!" She interrupted him.

"I don't know what's going on!"

"Well we have a satellite tracking Atom and as fast as he is flying he will be on your door step in less then three hours! Figure it out!" Amanda slammed down the phone.

* * *

Nightshade and Flagg were the last ones to get back to the plane. 

"Do we have everyone?" Rick asked.

"Yeah." Nemesis said. "Some are a little worse for the wear but everyone made it."

"Good lets get ready to get out of here." Rick walked over to the cockpit.

"Lets get this bird in the air, Briscoe!" Rick said to the pilot.

"That could be a problem, Colonel. Your activities in the city are all over the local military's radio. They are on their way here now. They're gonna try and intercept us before we take off."

"How many does it sound like they are sending and how soon?" Flagg asked.

"Sir, they say President Marlo's dead. They are sending everyone! ETA two minutes!"

"Damn it! I told them we couldn't trust Marlo!" Eiling shouted after getting off the phone with Waller. He dialed another number.

"We have a problem." Eiling said to the person on the other end.

"No, General, you have a problem. It's time you cleaned it up. If the council has to step in you will not like the results. I promise you that!"

"Understood." Eiling hung up the phone and dialed yet another number.

"Eric Blairman, we have a situation that compromises national security. A terrorist group has just attacked the country of Qurac and is now on their way to Washington to kill the President of the United States. Be warned, they have brainwashed Captain Atom into working with them as well. I need Major Force and the Force of July. I also need you to send an agent to kill the traitor to this country who was behind the entire plot, Amanda Waller."

_**To be concluded…**_


	4. Chapter 4: Bang and Blame conclusion

**The Suicide Squad: Bang and Blame - Part Three: Lie In Our Graves**

_**SS 1- The Suicide Squad transport plane**_

_**abandoned airfield in Qurac:**_

"There is no way we can get out of here in time!" Briscoe shouted as the SS 1 began to taxi down the runway. "Even if we make it in the air, the Quraci air force won't be too far behind."

"Colonel?" Ben Turner said poking his head into the cockpit, "We have company. There are several jeeps approaching from the east of the airfield." Ben pointed out the side window as headlights drew closer to the left side of the plane.

"Just get this thing off the ground, Briscoe." Rick Flagg demanded as he looked out the side window of the cockpit. "We'll have to think of something quick."

"You don't look so good my friend?" Angelo Bend looked over at Bolt who was seated next to him in the back of the plane. Bolt looked over at him and forced a smile.

"Just had a run in with a genie. A little tougher then a kid that can run fast and throw sticks, that's for sure." Bolt replied.

"It's all in the way you use it" Angle man smiled back at Bolt.

"Things might get rough here for a bit." Flagg said poking his head out of the cockpit. "Eve I need you in here" Eve just sat there not responding. "Eve now!" Rick yelled.

"Sorry." Eve grumbled, jumping up.

"Everyone else buckle up." Rick yelled over his shoulder as her turned back towards the cockpit.

"So I take it the stewardess won't be by soon with drinks and peanuts?" Angle Man said leaning back in his seat.

"Bastard." Bolt mumbled as he reached around to buckle his seat belt.

"We might make it." Briscoe stated as he continued to force the plane to accelerate towards take off speed.

"Any chatter on the radio concerning the air force?" Ben Turner asked.

"Not yet but we have to assume they're scrabbling planes as we speak" Briscoe responded. "Things are in disarray right now. Sounds like you guys did a number on this country with killing its leader."

"Marlo?" Bronze Tiger said looking at Eve and then at Flagg who now sat in the co pilot's seat. "Who said anything about killing Marlo? What happened Flagg?"

"I don't know what happened to Marlo. But it's all over the radio that terrorists killed him." Briscoe commented.

"We'll unless it's been a busy night for invaders they must mean us. Our orders were to…" Bronze tiger was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

"I know what our orders were but when I left Marlo he was still alive." Flagg snapped as he continued to fidget with the control panel. The plane was close to 185 miles an hour and the runway was growing shorter. The SS1 began to lift off the ground as the jeeps fell further behind, unable to catch the plane.

"As predicted they are calling in the back-ups now." Briscoe continued to monitor the local military's radio frequency. "Three blips just showed up on the radar heading our way."

"Just get this plane to thirty five thousand feet." Flagg said looking over his shoulder at Eve Eden. She continued to just stand there looking out the window of the cockpit. "Eve you know what I am going to ask of you right?"

"Rick, I don't know. I have never tried anything like that before. I am afraid." Eve sighed.

"Eve, we all are. But there is no way we can out race those incoming fighter jets. Even if we do, we won't make it to Washington in time to stop Captain Atom. You have to snap out of it and just do it!" Rick was starting to get a little impatient.

"Rick, are you thinking what I think you are thinking?" Bronze Tiger whispered with a wide-eyed look on his face.

Rick nodded. "Ben, go back and tell everyone to hold tight."

"They are attempting to make radio contact with us Colonel. They said surrender the murderer of President Marlo or they will shoot us down." Briscoe nervously looked over his shoulder at Flagg.

"They are going to shoot us down anyway." Rick shouted. "Eve, it's now or never!" Eve didn't say a word but reached out over the control panel of the plane and placed her hand on the window of the cockpit. This time she was being asked to do something other than just provide transportation. She's being asked to save the lives of everyone on this plane. After a few seconds, a dark hole appeared in front of the plane. It started out the size of a basketball and quickly began to expand until it was big enough for the plane to fly through.

"God help me. Hang on Nate. We are coming." Eve whispered before collapsing onto the floor of the cockpit.

* * *

Captain Atom was flying as fast as he could. His silver body streaked through the sky like a bullet. He knew right where he had to go and what he had to do didn't he? His mind felt like a pinball out of control. He tried to focus. Atom's thoughts strayed to his wife Angela. He misses her so much. All he wanted to do was set things right. Go back and undo the wrongs committed by him. Captain Atom was a hero. Nathaniel Adam was a murderer. How many dead? Six? Sixty? Why can't he remember? He was promised a chance to redeem himself. He was banking on that chance. He just needed one opportunity to set things right. Who promised him? How long was he held in that dark room unable to move, unable to think? Do his memories betray him? 

All Captain Atom had were images that float in and out of his consciousness. He remembered going crazy and killing everyone in his unit. He remembered their blood on his hands. Wait, there wasn't any blood! Why wasn't there any blood? They said he was tried and convicted for his crimes. He was sentenced to die. Days before he was to be executed he was told that there was a chance he could redeem himself by 'volunteering' for a top-secret project. He was told he would be a free man. He would have a clean record and be honorably discharged as a captain in the United States Air force. He agreed. He didn't have a choice did he? There wasn't any blood! But he was a killer. He would die otherwise. Never see his two kids grow up. Never be able to hold his wife again.

They wrapped him up in an alien metal and discharged a fifty megatons nuclear bomb beneath him. Did it save him or destroy him? It was Eiling who had made the promise to him. Survive the Atom Project and you're a free man. That was the promise. But he emerged eighteen years later and everything he cared about was gone. His wife, his children, his entire life was gone. Eiling promised him a new life, a new chance to serve his country and be a hero. He once again agreed. What happened? Why can't he remember? Something went wrong. Why did he feel he was losing control? He remembers hearing them talk when they didn't think he could hear them. They said it was over. Time to cut their loses. He overheard them say that they would tell him that with his Quantum powers he could be sent back in time and everything he wanted would be waiting for him there.

Was it possible? Did he agree? Why did he have to keep it a secret? Why couldn't he tell Eve? He loved Eve like he never thought he could love again? Was she in on it? Was it another lie? Why can't he focus? No! It was all a lie. Everything! Captain Atom was not a hero. Nate Adam was a killer. It was too late to change the past. Nothing left but to make things right. Nothing left but to kill the people responsible for what he has become. Eiling was going to be the first to die. So was anyone who tried to stop him. He deserves this much. He deserves this peace before he loses it completely!

* * *

June sat quietly in her seat on the SS1. She wasn't sure what all the commotion was about in the cockpit of the plane because she was too distracted to care. She just kept playing the same scene over and over again in her head. _You don't understand. She is evil. I have to kill her before it's too late! _At the time she was certain that the witch Enchantress was speaking about the girl Badb. But the more she thought about it she began to realize something. Those were her words. She was speaking through the Enchantress at the time. Was it the little girl's power that made it so, or was it something else? Something worse. Was it her subconscious speaking about the Enchantress? Did she have to kill her evil half before it was too late? Her thoughts then drifted to the mysterious message she received before they went on the mission. _There is a crisis coming. I didn't return in time, but you can stop it! _Was it her or her evil half they spoke of? June looked over at Mitch and a tear rolled down her cheek. She couldn't cry. Not yet. But she feared she wouldn't be strong enough to see this through to the end.

* * *

_I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him. _Abraham Lincoln said it first, but these words ran through Bill Vickers mind as he prepared for his teams mission. The sun was slowly rising in the east as he stood on the balcony of the Carlyne house, the headquarters of the Force of July. Bill Vickers is Major Victory and he is proud to see this day arrive. Finally his team was ready to serve their country on a mission they were made for. Eric Blairman received the call less then an hour ago. He was told to assemble the Force of July to take down a group of terrorists headed to Washington D.C. Mr. Blairman was their government liaison and had sent the team on several test mission over the past several months to see how they acted as a team. Major Victory was the group's leader. He possessed enormous strength and endurance from his government manufactured battle suit decorated with the colors of the American flag. Lady Liberty, it's only fitting that she is a woman of French origin. She channels her energy-manipulating powers through a vessel shaped like a torch. Silent Majority is a man capable of producing identical replicas of himself, each as cunning and ruthless as the original. Mayflower is a young woman who controls and accelerates the growth in all forms of vegetation and plant life. Finally there is Sparkler. A young boy Major Victory fancies as his sidekick. He has the power to produce firework like displays that he can project as weapons at his foes. "Yes." Bill Vickers said out loud "We are ready and it's a good day to be an American!"

* * *

There is a price to pay for everything we do. Wade Eiling thought as he sat at his desk in his Washington D.C. office. It was shortly after dawn and he kept running scenarios through his head. He wasn't convinced yet that things were so out of control that they couldn't be fixed. He had created one mistake in an attempt to correct another. He thought back to when he had survived Vietnam and quickly rose through the ranks and found himself on the fast track in Washington. 

He saw his opportunity to write his own ticket when an alien metal was found in the New Mexico desert, over twenty years ago. Eiling was put in charge of discovering its origin and what purpose it could serve the U.S. military. He took it one step further resulting in what was called the Atom Project. He wanted to push this alien metal form to its limits. To do that he needed a volunteer that could be was pushed to his limits with nothing to lose. Who he found was Nathaniel Christopher Adam. After the extreme test was over, Adam and the alien metal were both gone. It nearly crippled Eilings career.

He started over and along the way was contacted by a group known only as the Council. They used their influence and powerful contacts to guide Eilings career through the years. He has been chief military advisor to three presidents including the current President, Maxwell Lord. He was in position to be the next Secretary of Defense, when his past caught up with him. Captain Atom appeared after being flung eighteen years through time and landed in the present. That was one year ago. But once again Eiling saw an opportunity to use this to his advantage. He prepped Captain Atom to be the newest super hero, one that answered to the U.S. government. When it was apparent that Captain Atom couldn't be controlled, the Council advised Eiling to cut his loses and dispose of him.

In a deal with President Marlo he set a trap for Atom and shipped him off to Qurac. Marlo's plan was to hold Atom using a device that was meant to scrabble Atoms quantum powers and use him as a weapon against Qurac's enemies. Eiling knew the Council wanted Marlo to help expand their interests in the Middle East. In return, the Council was responsible for Qurac being one step away from becoming a member of the United Nations. Marlo was the figurehead and the Council was to be the power. When Eiling had gotten word that Marlo was targeted for assassination he had Waller send in the Squad.

The Council was the one who positioned Eiling to play a part in the forming of the Suicide Squad to begin with. It was soon after the Squads disastrous mission in Algeria that Eiling discovered that Marlo was planning to turn against his allies. It turns out he was playing both sides and was also a member of the Ten. The Council saw this as enough reason to continue to align themselves with Marlo. Eiling had to take care of the Captain Atom problem once and for all and show Marlo it was wise to continue to align himself with the Council. As much as he despised Amanda Waller, her Squad had proven to be useful up to this point. With the Secretary of the Defense's recently failings, Eiling would be the logical choice when it was time for President Lord to replace him. He was close enough now that he could feel it. The only thing left was to tidy up the loose ends. Waller and the Squad would be finished after today and he would finally be rid of Atom once and for all. Eiling had paid the price for everything he had to endure.

Now it was time to get what he deserved. He was almost embarrassed by the smile that began to form on his face. It didn't last long when his door burst open and Captain Atom appeared!

* * *

The SS1 found its way through Nightshades dimension and Briscoe sat dead still for a moment. When he regained his composure he quickly began to check the flight instruments. Most of the digital read outs on the EFIS had already begun to automatically adjust. 

"I don't think I want to know how that happened or how it worked but it did. Everything is checking out fine." Briscoe cleared his throat, still not completely recovered from the experience yet.

"Good." Flagg responded as he stood up and helped Ben get Eve off the floor and into the seat. "You did good Eve."

"Colonel I queried the ECAM twice. Believe it or not we are twenty minutes out of Washington airspace." Briscoe glanced over at Eve and then looked back at the control panel.

"Ben, get Waller on the horn. Find out what we are heading into." Flagg said, stepping out of the cockpit. Nemesis jumped up from his seat and met Flagg in the aisle way.

"What the hell happened? Was that Eve's doing?" He demanded.

"Yes and we are almost in Washington." Rick answered before looking over at the rest of the group. "This isn't over yet people."

"Like hell it's not!" Bolt shouted, slowly standing up. He was obviously still a little worse for the wear from his encounter with Djinn. "I didn't sign up for this kind of crap!"

"Sit down and shut the hell up! This is over when I say it's over. You just remember…" Flagg shouted and put his finger in Bolts face forcing him back in his seat. "I am not your friend, your parole officer, or your Daddy and I don't have to be nice to you!" A silence fell over everyone for a moment.

"Man sure knows how to get a woman all hot and bothered, doesn't he?" Frost grinned, looking over at Deadshot.

"Long as I get to shoot someone." He grinned back, glancing down at his double wrist magnums.

"Don't worry Floyd." Mitch Shelly said seriously " I'm afraid you'll get your chance before this is through."

* * *

Black Orchid looked on from a distance as doctors worked on Vixen in the emergency room at the local hospital outside of Bordeaux, France. When the rocket blasted the third floor of their hotel room, Orchid was blasted through a wall and into the next room. She had already survived a deadly battle with Deadline and her invulnerability was tested to its limit today. Mark Shaw had nothing more then a few broken bones and a concussion. Mari used the power of the Tatu totem to save Mark Shaw's life and might have very well sacrificed her own life in the process. Susan glanced over at Mark. He was leaning against the glass that separated him from where they were working on Mari. She wondered what was going through his head at the moment. She hadn't said more then two words to him since they got there. 

Susan had quickly gone into defense mode, transforming into what she hoped would pass as a common French Woman. She knew Mark probably wouldn't want her close right now anyway. If he did, she wasn't capable of that now, or any other time. She wasn't that type of person. She was someone who knew so little about who she really was so it was always safer to play someone else. It was safer to hide in the background and not be noticed. Susan was lost in thought until she felt her Black berry buzz in her side pocket. She pulled it out and read the message:

_**Glad to see you're alive Suzy. Maybe now you will stop wasting time and get to the business of taking back your life again. Once you have found it, that is. Steel has been lying to you. He has known for sometime now the answers you have desperately been seeking to find. You are so close now. Please hurry home. Love, your sister.**_

The message was from an unknown sender. No one had access to her Black Berry other then Waller and Steel. They knew too much for her to pass this off as a prank. Who was it then? Was it true what they said about Steel? She agreed to work for him a few years back, if he would help her uncover her origins and who was responsible for what she had become. Why would he keep information from her if he knew something? Did she have a sister?

* * *

The Suicide Squad was totally expendable. The government's super team with one hundred percent deniability if things ever go sour. That was Amanda Waller's pitch when she sold the idea to the President. Rick Flagg was the field leader of the Suicide Squad. He was in charge of making the right decisions that ensured a successful mission. The problem was, this mission was setup to fail from the beginning. Now his focus had turned to damage control. Get in, defuse the current situation and then get out. Stop Captain Atom from tearing apart the nations capitol and prevent him from killing the man responsible for what had become of him. That same man had been behind the scenes as the government liaison for the Squad, Wade Eiling. Flagg discovered Eiling was involved with Marlo. 

It almost made sense now, he thought. Flagg had doubted his ability to lead this team after Algeria, that's why he took off to Vegas. He had been used before so he recognized the foul taste it left in his mouth. He let the government talk him into spying on a group called the Forgotten Hero's. He never questioned his orders and it nearly cost him his life then. Now he found himself in another situation that was spiraling out of control. Had the Squad been patsies the whole time? Was the entire thing an elaborate scheme for power hungry bureaucrats to have pawns they could use up and toss aside when they were through? Were Waller and Eiling in on it from the beginning? He doubted it. Waller was too much of a megalomaniac herself. Either way, he was keeping what he had learned to himself for now. When this was all over he was going to get answers. That was, if he got out of his current situation alive.

The Squad landed outside of Washington at Bolling Air Force Base. That was where they discovered The Force of July waiting for them. Flagg quickly dispatched half the team to find and contain Captain Atom. Eve swiftly transported with Nemesis, Mitch Shelly, and Bronze Tiger. That left Flagg, Deadshot, Bolt, Killer Frost, Angle Man, and Enchantress to deal with the rest.

"Briscoe! Issue our standard clearance code. That should keep the Air Force out of the way for now. We don't need our cover blown if it already hasn't been." Flagg yelled. "Everyone exit this plane now! I want this ended quickly. Pick a target and take them down. I do not; I repeat do not want deadly force used. That goes for everyone Deadshot!"

Flagg thought they looked like characters from propaganda hate films other countries show to their people about America. Despite how silly they may have appeared, they were dangerous and were quick on the attack. Within minutes a battle erupted across the tarmac runway. Major Victory stood before Rick Flagg.

"You dare bring your filth and bile to American soil!" Major Victory shouted as he leapt at Flagg, tackling him to the ground. Flagg quickly spun around and kicked him in the chest, forcing him to the ground landing flat on his back. He pulled out his gun and pointed it in Victory's face. "I do not know what you were told but this ends here and now!" Flagg scowled, cocking the hammer on his gun. "Call them off now before someone gets hurt!"

Major Victory lay there catching his breath. "This country will no longer roll over and play dead for you and your kind." He reached up and pulled the gun out of Flagg's hand, snapping his wrist along the way. Flagg was surprised at how fast he was able to move. He was still feeling the pain in his wrist when Victory leapt to his feet and in one swift motion lifted Flagg up over his head and threw him to the ground.

* * *

June Moone was afraid to change into the Enchantress after the events in Qurac but without Mitch here she was more afraid of what would happen if she didn't. She yelled the witch's name as she fell to her knees. Enchantress smiled. She felt strong again. She looked up and saw a woman standing in front of her dressed in brown with a green cape. 

"Honey I should kill you now for looking so hideous!" Enchantress said as she conjured a vigor spell and rose to her feet striking Mayflower on the chin knocking her down. She then picked her up and throw her about twenty feet, where Mayflower landed in a field right off the runway. Enchantress walked over to where she laid motionless in the grass.

"Opps!" Enchantress snickered, standing over the girl's body, "I wasn't supposed to use deadly force? Flagg is dense! There is no other kind of force but deadly!"

Mayflower slowly moved her hands, palms down to the ground and grabbed two handfuls of grass. She flung them up at Enchantress. They hit her like a hundred tiny needles. She felt several embed in her right arm and shoulder. Enchantress reached up and pulled one out. "Neat trick. I've got a better one!" She leaned down and cast a redirect spell forcing the grass spikes out of her and centered them in the middle of Mayflowers neck. Mayflower gasped half a breath, rose slightly and then collapsed.

"No other type." Enchantress licked her lips and walked away.

* * *

Silent Majority was as good as his name. He spoke not a word as he quickly divided into over a dozen copies of himself and closed in on Bolt and Deadshot. Bolt thrashed away at half a dozen attackers while Deadshot kept picking off the copies one by one with precision shots. But as quickly as one disappeared another formed to take his place. 

"This is getting us no where!" Bolt shouted over to Deadshot. "There's too many of them!"

Deadshot didn't say a word but continued to increase his pace at taking them down until one reached from behind and struck him square in the middle of the back. He fell face first to the ground. He nearly blacked out from the pain of being struck in the same place Rustam had wounded him earlier. He blocked out the throbbing wound as he rolled over and shot the replica, which then quickly disappeared. He had been agitated because of what occurred earlier and wanted to shot someone, but this was ridiculous. He jumped up and taped a button on the side of his mask. His vision filter switched to infrared and he quickly scanned the crowed of facsimiles until he found what he was looking for, the only one that registered any body heat. The original stood the furthest back out of harms way. Deadshot aimed his wrist magnums and fired two shots striking each kneecap on the original Silent Majority. He hit the ground and uttered his first sounds as he shrieked in pain as one by one the duplicates vanished.

* * *

"Captain Atom." Eiling said as stood up in front of his desk. "What took you so long?" 

"What I am surprised at, is a coward like yourself hasn't crawled in a hole by now." Atom growled.

"Why? I have nothing to hide from. You are the one who couldn't handle your duties anymore and disappeared for the last couple of months." Eiling calmly crossed his arms across his chest.

"You know exactly where I've been." Atom moved closer to where Eiling stood. "What you don't know or couldn't possibly fathom is what I plan to do to you for everything you have done to me."

Eiling took a half a step back as Atom got closer. "You must have finally cracked Nathaniel. I have done nothing to you but provide you with opportunity after opportunity, which you squandered away time and again. The last time we spoke you told me you had found a way to go back in time and fix everything. You are the coward who's constantly running away, not me!"

"You trapped me and used me every chance you've had!" Atom screamed forcing Eiling to fall back into his chair. Atom's silver alloy covering body began to glow changing into an orange hue. "It ends today!"

Eiling sat in his chair and began to tremble slightly as Atom leaned down towards him.

"Yes my good Captain." Eiling managed to utter. "It does end today. Meet your replacement."

With a blur Captain Atom was forced through the wall of Wade Eilings office and on to constitution Avenue. Major Force walked over to where Atom lay and picked him up by the shoulder with one hand.

"The General was wrong. I am not your replacement. I am your superior!" He shouted before pounding him several times in the face and throwing him to the ground. Captain Atom stumbled to his feet as Major Force took a few steps and stood in front of him again.

"Face it Captain, I outrank you and you're just plain out matched and out classed!" Major Force laughed before pulling his fist back and hitting him again, this time propelling him in the air, sending him flying. He landed over a half a mile away in West Potomac Park near the FDR memorial.

Captain Atom lay still on the ground. His entire body was like it was an inferno. He felt like he was burning up from the inside out. He couldn't focus. Instead, he gave in to rage and fury, which gave him power. He stumbled to his feet once again. He stood there unable to move. He experienced what he thought could be an out of body experience. This wasn't him! He wasn't filled with this much hate was he? What did they do to him all those months in that box? There wasn't time to think as a 600-pound blur of red and indigo was racing toward him. This time he forced himself to stand up straight and brace himself. As Major Force got close enough Atom reached out and grabbed hold of both his arms and flung him over his head and straight into the ground. The shock wave was felt a mile away. Atom turned around and put his foot on Major Force's chest and reached out and grabbed both of his arms. He watched as Major Force gritted his teeth.

"Not as washed up as I thought. Good! I thought I was just gonna give your candy ass a beat down." Major Force attempted to pull himself up but he noticed that Atom was pulling harder on his arms. He was glowing a brighter orange and it was making him stronger. Stronger then he had ever been before. Force felt his arms start to pull from their sockets and flayed his body in an attempt to break Atoms grasp to no avail. "Stop it! Fight me like a man!"

"It's too late for that!" Captain Atom began to scream down at Major Force. "Because I am no longer a man!"

With that he pulled harder until he felt Major Forces arms tearing away from his body.

"Nate! Stop it!" Eve screamed as Atom turned around to see her behind him along with Bronze Tiger, Nemesis, and Resurrection Man.

* * *

Amanda Waller sat alone in her office. She had not been in communication with the Squad in over an hour. Ben told her what had happened in Qurac and that they were almost in Washington. She couldn't get a hold of Eiling. Everything had fallen apart around her and the Squad. Why hadn't she seen this coming? Had she been so over confident that she didn't bother to put all the pieces together when they were right there in front of her the entire time? Waller was not the type of person to wallow in pity and self-doubt. Nor was she going to sit around questioning herself and her actions. She had come too far in her life to begin doing that now. Lost in thought she was startled a bit when there was a knock on her office door. 

"Come in." She yelled.

The door opened and a man entered quickly and shut the door. "I wasn't aware you were so eager to die Mrs. Waller?"

"So they sent Eddie Fyers to kill me?"

"They did indeed." He said smiling to her.

Amanda sighed and buried her head in her hands. "God this is going to be a long day!"

* * *

Killer Frost found herself facing off against Lady Liberty. She was getting irritated and found it hard to concentrate. Stupid French chick and her stupid French accent! Frost thought. Where the hell does she get off spouting to me about whatever it is she spouting off about? She was on the defensive and she didn't like it. Stupid torch melting everything I throw at her! Why couldn't I get one of the yummy boys to play with? 

"Hey chicky! Why don't you shut up for a minute?" Frost yelled while evading another blast from Lady Liberty's torch. " You talk too much and I can't understand a thing your saying anyways!"

"Why don't you just lay down!" Liberty said, "A slut like you should know what that means in any language!"

"Oh no! You did not just go there! Some bitch in a long green dress and a falic looking torch with obvious Daddy issues did not just judge me!" Killer Frost screamed as she got close enough to tackle Liberty to the ground. Liberty was blasting blindly with her torch until Frost knocked it out of her hand. Frost jumped on top of her and backhanded her across the face. Liberty struggled while trying to reach her torch that lay just out of reach.

"You want this?" Frost asked, picking up the torch. She swung it around and hit Liberty hard enough on the temple that it drew blood. "Your dress doesn't lend to fighting hand to hand now does it?" Liberty continued to struggle as Frost pinned her down. Frost held the torch over her head with both hands. Lady Liberty closed her eyes tight as the torch swung down toward her. She freed her left hand and in brief second, turned the torch around and blasted Killer Frost launching her backwards. Lady Liberty slowly stood up and adjusted herself. She then walked over to where Frost lay literally out cold. She leaned down and tapped her on the cheek. "Who talks too much now, huh _chienne_?"

* * *

Another child? Angle man thought as Sparkler ran towards him. This is the second time today! I should have picked the French dame in the long dress. That could have been fun. 

"Give it up, terrorist scum!" Sparkler screeched as he stood ten feet in front of Angelo.

Angelo laughed out loud as the kid clinched his fists and pointed them Angle Man.

"You are in way over your head, my young adolescent fool." He laughed as Sparkler sent a barrage of fire works at him. Angelo quickly used his triangle to create a small force field, which stopped the assault.

"Well aren't you a crafty old dude." Sparkler said half smiling.

"Aren't their child labor laws your daddy over there is violating?" Angle Man gestured in the direction where Major Victory was fighting Rick Flagg.

"I am sixteen and he isn't my Father. He is the greatest American hero I know!"

Angelo laughed again. "Well since I know you are too young to know William Katt, I will assume you mean he is a twisted man who gets his kicks dressing up young boys in spandex!" That set Sparkler off as he charged towards Angle Man. When he got close enough Angle Man pointed his triangle at the kid that sent him flying straight up in the air. "Oh my god! Do kids never learn?" He said as began to walk away. Where's that other female at, the one tangling with witchy woman?

Angle Man began to look around when out of the corner of his eye he noticed Sparkler flying back down with his fists glowing bright crimson. He turned to point his triangle at him but it was too late. Sparkler turned and fired one large fire assault that hit Angle Man directly in the chest and exploded on impact.

Sparkler looked down at Angelo Bends lifeless body with a panicked look on his face. He looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened. He thought about picking up the triangle but instead flew off as fast as he could.

* * *

"Please stop, Nate!" Eve pleaded as she took a step toward Captain Atom. "This isn't you!" 

"This is what they made me. I can't stop now!" He said tightening his grip on Major Force.

"I know you're scared and lonely but this isn't the way. I am sorry." Eve pleaded as she got close enough to place her hand on his shoulder. "I should have gone looking for you when you disappeared. I just thought…"

"Eve stay back! I love you but this is how it has to be!" He shouted without taking his eyes off of Major Force.

"Such a drama queen ain't ya?" Major Force snickered. "You gonna do something or are you gonna torture me with this sob story?"

Captain Atom pulled Major Force off of the ground and reached up and grabbed him by the throat. His hand was glowing a bright orange as he squeezed tighter. He then released his grip. Major Force stumbled back a bit. Atom reached out and let go a full blast that released some of the excess energy that was building up inside of him. The blast sent Major Force flying backward and out of sight.

Atom fell to his knees as his entire body began to glow bright amber.

"Nate!" Eve cried, leaning down toward him.

"Eve!" Nemesis yelled as she reached over and grabbed her, pulling her away from Captain Atom.

"Let her go!" Captain Atom screamed as he stood up. "She's all I have left!"

Mitch stepped in front of him. "Not now buddy. We're gonna get you some help first!"

"No! Eve leaves with me now!" He shouted at Mitch.

"I can't let that happen. You are going to cool off first then we are all leaving together."

Mitch put his hands on Atom's shoulder. Atom reached up and grabbed Mitch's hand. He squeezed it until he felt it crush.

"AUGHHH!" Mitch yelled.

"I am sorry Eve." Atom said as he watched her stand behind Bronze Tiger and Nemesis.

"Not as sorry as you're gonna be!" Mitch screamed as he wrapped his arms around Atom and took off with him straight up in the air.

"What are we going to do?" Eve sobbed.

"He is out of control and we are in way over our heads here." Bronze Tiger said, trying to console her. "He has gone straight over the edge."

" No he hasn't! It isn't his fault! That bastard tortured him." Eve sneered. "He deserved to die!"

"Regardless. He is not coming back with us willingly. We're going to have to hope Mitch calms him down." Ben sighed, looking up toward the sky.

* * *

Ok, Mitch, now what? He crushed your hand and it hurts like hell. It will heal. What made you think flying off with him in tow was a good idea? What now? Tell him to go sit in his room till he can act like an adult? This was a bad idea. 

"You should have stayed out of this." Atom shouted as he pushed Mitch off of him.

Mitch looked down but he couldn't tell how high they were up. He hated to fly. It didn't feel natural. He charged at Captain Atom and swung at him with his good hand. He missed badly, unable to adjust his balance in the air. Atom elbowed him in the chest. Mitch felt several ribs crack from the impact. Atom looked around then flew off. Mitch took off after him. The cold rushing air emphasized every pain in his body. He caught Atom off guard when he grabbed him by the leg and swung him back around. Atom stopped and appeared to just float there for a moment. The silver metal that encased his entire body was starting to crack. More excess energy began to spill out as the cracks widened.

He watched as Atom began to freefall. He raced down after him and pulled him back up. It was then when he realized what was going on. He held on to the now incoherent Atom and flew straight up. He felt his body burn. Everything felt like it was on fire. He kept pushing harder and faster. There wasn't any more air in his lungs but he had already forgotten how to breathe. It didn't matter anymore. This was it. He prayed that Nathaniel Adam would find the peace he had lost on earth. Mitch also said the same prayer for himself he had uttered too many times to count now. He wasn't afraid anymore. The darkness would soon be gone and the pain would disappear. It had been so long he hoped his soul would find its way. He thought of June. She saw in him everything he had thought was lost. He hoped she would remember.

It ended in with a bright crimson flash high above Washington D.C.

* * *

"I am taking you and your cohorts in." Major Victory proclaimed as he stood over Rick Flagg. 

"Not today." Bronze Tiger hollered just before his heel landed on the side of Victory's temple knocking him out.

He reached down and helped Flagg up. "We have to get out of here now Colonel."

They quickly headed inside the plane and shut the door behind them.

"Everyone accounted for?" Flagg asked, looking around.

"They barbequed Angle Man and Frost got taken down hard but she'll live." Ben said.

"Briscoe!" Flagg yelled up towards the cockpit.

"Say no more Colonel. I am on it." He said back.

"I take it things didn't go any better on your end?" Rick aked Ben as he rubbed his eyes trying to clear his head.

"No. Captain Atom lost it and took Mitch with him." Ben said

"What do you mean?" he asked sitting in one of the passenger seats towards the door.

"They went boom." He whispered.

"Oh." He replied. "And Eiling?"

"Don't know. We got back here as quick as we could."

"Contact Waller and let her know we are heading home then."

"No can do. No one can get a hold of her."

Flagg leaned back in his seat. "God this is going to be a long day!"

* * *

After a few minutes the SS1 was in the air and Flagg and Bronze Tiger headed to the cockpit. They quickly learned that the incident was all over the local and national news. Terrorists attacked Washington D.C. and after an intense battle that raged across the nations capital, it was being reported that Captain Atom and several members of America's newest super team, The Force of July, were dead. It was believed that these same terrorists attacked and murdered President Marlo of Qurac earlier in the night. 

There was a plea to the military and the Meta human community to track down the terrorists and bring them to justice.

"Great. It's only a matter of time before they sic Superman on our ass then its all over." Flagg joked as he sat back in the co-pilots seat.

"How much time do we have?" Ben asked.

"It will be a few minutes before they have us pulled up on satellite. The Air Force will be on us in less then five minutes after that."

"We need to contact Sarge Steel, the President, someone." Ben said.

"No Ben it's over. They've already cut us loose. One-hundred percent deniability, remember?" Just then there was yelling from the cabin.

"What the hell is going on?" Rick said after him and Ben came out of the cockpit.

"I will shot you!" Deadshot yelled as he pointing both his wrist magnums at Bolt who stood in the aisle with his arms out crackling with electricity.

"Stand down Floyd! Now!" Flagg shouted, pulling his gun on Deadshot. "Bolt, sit down! I do not need this crap right now!" "

Bolt stood where he was.

"You have to the count of three to sit down or I will blow your head off at your shoulders or have you forgotten our insurance policy?" Rick pulled out a small disc like detonator from his pocket.

"We have not forgotten the bomb you put in our head, Rick Flagg. We have already bypassed the detonator." Bolt said as he was charging up. "Non compliance is determined. Destruction is the only alternative." Rick frantically pushed the detonator with no results. Bolt shot an electric blast from his fingertips and Djinn rode out of on them. Shots were fired as Djinn flew past Flagg and Bronze Tiger straight toward the cockpit crashing into the control panels. Everything went dark for a few seconds until the auxiliary lights kicked on. Bolt was on the floor dead and the plane began to nose dive.

"Briscoe!" Flagg yelled stumbling back toward the cockpit. Briscoe was slumped over the flight controls. Flagg pulled him off to find him dead.

"Damn it!" Flagg said as he looked at the flight instruments. They were severely damaged. Everything was offline. The plane continued to nose dive. Flagg jumped back up and struggled to get back to the cabin.

"Eve!" he yelled out. "Transport us out of here now!"

"Rick! I can't. I don't know what will happen. I…" She said hanging to one of the seats.

"Eve listen to me very carefully we are going to crash. It's up to you."

"Where's Mitch! I have to save Mitch!" June screeched in shock.

"Eve now." Rick yelled as the plane continued to rapidly descend. Nightshade prayed as she pointed down and opened up a dimensional hole.

* * *

**Epilogue One:**

Eiling sat in the back seat of his car. He had already put the glass divider up so his driver couldn't hear the conversation he was about to have on his phone. He took a deep breath and dialed the number. After one ring someone on the other end picked up.

"I am on my way to the White House now. It's nearly over." He said.

"It better be." The man on the other end of the phone replied. "We lost our control in Qurac and it will be sometime before we can get our own man inside the Middle East again."

"The death of President Marlo was unexpected and unfortunate." Eiling said. "Captain Atom and the Squad have been dealt with." Eiling continued in an attempt to shift to some of the more positive outcomes.

"Captain Atom was a powerful weapon you never fully utilized. Also, losing the Squad was unfortunate before we had a chance to use them future."

"We can replace them sir." Eiling clenched his phone tighter.

"No! We will cut our loses and move forward with our plans. But we have suffered a lot of loses from this Eiling. A lot of loses that has made you look very poorly in the councils eyes."

"Well, with Amanda Waller out of the way sir I don't foresee any more setbacks on this end."

"Yes, it seems Amanda Waller was a bigger problem then you realized .No more set backs Eiling. You are out of second chances." The man demanded before hanging up the phone.

After a few minute the car stopped and Eiling got out. He didn't stop until he walked into the room, handed the President a file, and sat down. "It's done, Mr. President," he said. "The Suicide Squad is dead. The file on them is closed."

"And Waller?" President Lord asked.

"Waller was confirmed dead last night, Sir." Eiling replied, "And anyone else associated with her and or the Squad is either dead, or in deep hiding"

"Well," the President continued as he leaned back in his chair, pushing the file across the desk in front of him. "I told her that the success of the squad would depend on her ability to be a team player."

"You can't win them all, Sir." Eiling sighed as he got up and headed towards the door.

"Eiling." the President said, standing up and walking toward him.

"Yes Sir?"

"Sorry about your lose."

"It was a set back, Sir. But we will be up and running again in no time." Eiling headed out the door. Yes, he has suffered several set backs but he has never let that stop him in the past. Captain Atom and now the Suicide Squad are on the short list of failures against a career full of successes. Eiling was once again confident as he walked back through the White House. Soon this would all be his! Once outside, he followed a narrow path that lead to his limousine parked along side the road. Another man was standing next to the limo, waiting for him.

"You finished briefing the President so soon, General?" Sarge Steel asked, taking a step away from the limo.

"Well there wasn't much to say. Everything was in my report." General Wade Eiling said as he approached Steel and stood next to him.

"Everything? Even the senseless deaths of American heroes?"

"Heroes huh?" General Eiling clinched his teeth "Steel, we are talking about thieves, murderers and criminals; not heroes. The day people like that become heroes is the day I resign." Sarge Steel just smiled at him. Eiling looked at him for another few seconds and then opened the back door of the limo. "And another thing..." He started to say as he got in the limo but before he had a chance to finish his sentence, Steel shut the door and the limo drove off. Sarge Steel took his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. Someone on the other end picked up.

"Now it's finished, Sir." Steel said and then hung up.

* * *

"Hello Eiling." Someone said sitting across from him in the limo. 

"Amanda Waller!" he exclaimed.

"You look a little disappointed General, or is that confused? Either way, Eddie Fyers wanted me to tell you hello."

"I will kill you myself!" Eiling screamed as he lunged toward her

"Sit your ass down," Amanda said as the glass dividing the front of the limo rolled down. He looked up and saw Floyd Lawton driving and Ben Turner next to him smiling. "Now that's definitely confusion I am certain of it!"

Eiling sat back in his seat. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. Unless you want to tell me about the Council."

"I do not know what you are talking about!"

"I didn't think so."

"The President will not sit still for this…"

"This is the Presidents idea!" Amanda raised her voice at him "I think his exact words were, lock him up and throw away the key. So it doesn't matter whether you talk because where you are going you will no longer exist!"

* * *

**Epilogue Two:**

"So I take it Eiling didn't say anything about Marlo or the Council?" Flagg asked as he sat across from Amanda Waller in her office.

"No he wasn't in the mood to chit chat." Waller replied.

"What's the word from France?" Flagg asked.

"They've stabilized Vixen and preparing to transport her out later today with Shaw. Orchid took off to god knows where."

"Maybe she went after the group that attacked them."

"Maybe." Waller sighed, "There is something that's still bothering me about that though. If Eiling was in bed with Marlo then it couldn't have been him that sabotaged the missions in Algeria or in France."

"Yeah, makes sense." Flagg commented

"So someone else wanted Marlo dead. Someone who was always one step ahead of the Squad in the field." She paused as she leaned back in her chair.

"You think it's someone on the inside?"

"Or someone who hacked in from the outside. Either way I will find out and I know exactly where to start looking."

Flagg stood up and headed toward the door.

"One last bit of business Flagg."

He turned back around and faced her.

"After reading all the field reports. I have one question for you?" She said standing up. "Why did you kill Marlo?"

Flagg stood there for a brief moment before responding.

"I don't have an answer for that." Flagg said. "Is that all?"

"Yes. But as of right now you are removed as field leader effective immediately."

Flagg didn't say a word but turned back around and headed out the door. He knew it would come up eventually. He did have an answer to her question. He didn't kill President Marlo but he knows who did. He wasn't sure why, but he was willing to take the fall for who really did. He knows there was only one person who not only had the motive but the ability to kill him and then get out quickly without being seen. Eve Eden. They haven't spoken since the Qurac and Washington incident occurred a few days back. But he would talk to her soon. There was someone else he needed to have a word with first.

He headed down to where the living quarters for the mission's team was located. He peeked inside a doorway where he saw Dolphin sleeping. He walked up and leaned down along side her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful sleeping there. He slowly ran his fingers through her long white hair. He did that for a minute until she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hi Dol." He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. "Are you doing better now?"

"I am sorry for the way I acted." She whispered in her delicate, soft-spoken voice as a tear ran down her cheek.

"Hey, its ok. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. What you said then about how you didn't think it could be me, what made you think that?"

She hesitated at first, as she lay there looking up at him.

"Because…" She whispered, "I saw you die."

* * *

_**Next:Two new storylines begin in Suicide Squad II**_

**_Suicide Squad- All Consuming Fire: Part 1 (of 3) _**

"Bang and Blame" is over and the Squad begins to pick up the pieces. Rick Flagg looks into his past for clues to his death. Oracle returns and Amanda Waller wants answers! Also, who is breaking into Belle Reve and why? The answer will shock you!

**_Black Orchid- Nothing But Flowers: Part 1 (of 3)_**  
Also Black Orchid's back-up tale begins here. Susan Linden doesn't know who she is, where she came from, or how she became Black Orchid. The search for the truth begins in Metropolis.

* * *

**_Authors notes:_** What follows are the five Squad entry's from the Who's Who event over at DC2. Who's Who has character bios and original art for each character. There were 30 entry's in all that covered nearly all the books in the DC2. Check it out over there for the entire issue. Otherwise just check out the Squad entry's here for some foreshadowing of major storylines to come in the Squad book!

* * *

**Name: **Susan Linden  
**Secret Identity: **Black Orchid**  
Aliases: **Various**  
First DC2 Appearance: **Suicide Squad #2**  
Status: **Hero**  
Base of Operations: **Mobile**  
Occupation: **Adventurer, Crime Fighter, Vegas card dealer**  
HT: **5' 11"  
**WT: **130**  
Eyes: **Violet/change at will**  
Hair: **Violet/change at will**  
Powers and Abilities:** Her known powers include flight, near invulnerability, and when she is near enough to release a pheromone she is able use it to exhibit limited persuasion powers over others. With all of that, perhaps her greatest power comes from her ability to be a master of disguise. She can flawlessly impersonate anyone, typically blending into the background as an insignificant person like a maid or a secretary. Often people do not even realize she has been there until she is long gone, with the only sign of her being there is calling card, a black orchid. 

**  
History: **Very little is known about this mysterious woman. She is a mystery even to herself. She just became "aware" one day walking the streets of Metropolis with only a memory of her name.

Sarge Steel discovered her a few years back working undercover as a card dealer in Las Vegas. He quickly recruited her to work for him when he discovered her ability's. She agreed to work for him if he would help her uncover her origins and who was responsible for what she has become.

Six months ago Steel quiet accidentally uncovered the truth about Susan Linden. He chose to keep that information to himself because he feared he would no longer be able to control her if she discovered the truth. But, it's only a matter of time before she discovers the truth and goes after the two men responsible for what she's become, Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne!

Black Orchids solo adventure begins after Bang and Blame!

* * *

**Name:** June Moone  
**Secret Identity:** None  
**Aliases:** The Enchantress  
**First DC2 Appearance:** As June Moone- Suicide Squad #1, as Enchantress- Suicide Squad issue #2  
**Status:** Uncertain  
**Base of Operations:** Belle Reve Prison  
**Occupation:** Adventurer, Criminal, Sorceress  
**HT:** 5' 6"  
**WT:** 125 lbs.  
**Eyes:** Blue (Moone) Green (Enchantress)  
**Hair:** Blonde (Moone) Black (Enchantress)  
**Powers and Abilities**: Normal human possessed by a mystical entity capable of vast magical power which can be called upon by saying the word "Enchantress." Some of her powers include levitation and the animation of objects. She also has an immeasurable amount of mystic tricks concealed in her witch's hat. 

**History:** June killed her mother 33 seconds after she was born. She was the last of three girls born to Nicole Easton on that day. But, the strain of multiply births was too much for her to handle, and Nicole died without ever getting to hold her girls. The tragedy was too much to bear for the newly widowed father and he abandoned his children and they became wards of the state. Baby June was the smallest and barely clung to life. She spent her first six months in the children's ward at the hospital she was born. In that time her sisters were adopted as twins. Several months later, Michael and Amanda Moone adopted baby June.

Twenty some years later while June was a junior at the university of Massachusetts. She was asked by her boyfriend to go to a party with him at an old building the locals called Terror Castle. The party turned out to be a group an amateur witches and wizards trying to conjure up sprits. The entire group was overwhelmed with super natural forces. In an attempt to escape the chaos June slipped away to an ancient chamber hidden away within the castle. It was there she encountered the creature know as Dzamor. He told her it was her destiny that had brought her here this night. Everyone in the castle would die unless she accepted the mystical powers he was offering her. She felt she had no choice. She spoke the word Enchantress and was transformed into a being of extraordinary powers. She easily drove out the evil forces in the castle and saved everyone.

For a short time she became a super natural force of good in the world. Despite her power, it wasn't enough to save her boyfriend from dying in a cult. It was then that she cried out to Dzamor for more power. He agreed in exchange for a favor that he would collect later.

She agreed to his terms but the excess power she received slowly began to drive her over the edge. June stayed in her Enchantress persona for longer and longer periods of time. She was on a course of self-destruction, one that would take the planet with her.

It wasn't until an all out battle with Power Girl that June was able to take back control of her life.

June was incarcerated for her crimes and was recruited by the Suicide Squad. After participating on a few missions her sentence was served. She choose to stay with the group after they promised to help her find a way to control her Enchantress persona in exchange she hopes to make up for some of the wrongs she has committed.

She's finding it harder and harder to keep her Enchantress side in check. She feels her crawling under her skin, just waiting to take over again. June fears that one day she will speak the witches name one too many times and Enchantress will take over forever.

Recently she was contacted by a familiar figure telling her she will play in important role in an upcoming crisis. Finally, just off in the shadows, is Dzamor waiting to reveal a secret about Junes past and to collect his favor. Junes story will be told after the DC2 crisis plays out and before the next big storyline "Hit between the Eyes" begins!

* * *

**Name: **Manhunter  
**Secret Identity:** Mark Shaw/Shawn Marcus  
**Aliases:** Privateer, Star-Tsar  
**First DC2 Appearance:** Suicide Squad #1  
**Status:** Hero  
**Base of Operations:** Mobile, Belle Reve Prison  
**Occupation:** Attorney, Bounty Hunter  
**HT:** 5' 11"  
**WT:** 185 lbs.  
**Eyes:** Blue  
**Hair:** Brown  
**Powers and Abilities:** Enhanced strength, speed, stamina, agility, and limited healing powers.Power baton is capable of firing powerful energy blasts and magnetic pulses. 

**History:** Shawn Marcus was a public defender that grew increasingly frustrated at the way the system worked in favor of the criminals. After one too many criminals manipulated the system and got off without punishment, he decided to do something about it. He used evidence he had on a client to get him convicted. After breaching his client lawyer privileges, he was barred from practicing law. The client he helped put away put a contract out on his life. Shawn Marcus's life was over. Soon after going into hiding, an ancient sect of crime fighters contacted him to work for them. They believed that at the center of the galaxy a group of highly intelligent beings created the perfect protectors in the universe. In their eyes, these Manhunters were created to bring peace to the galaxy. The decided to live by the laws and doctrine of the Manhunters until the day comes they return to once again cleanse the galaxy leaving only the righteous behind to rebuild the universe. He began his training with them and soon after he was hunting down criminals. He became more obsessed with hunting and punishing, then seeing justice done. He slowly lost focus as to why he was doing what he was doing. He crossed the line one night and a young police officer died. The Manhunters cult disavowed him and Shawn had once again lost everything and was forced to go into hiding. It wasn't until he was captured and sent to prison that his life began anew.

How did Shawn Marcus become the villain Star-Tsar and the hero The Privateer? What forced him to leave it all behind? Why was Shawn Marcus forced to change his name to Mark Shaw? Who forced Manhunter to work for the government? Who is the new Manhunter who is after Shaw? Find out everything in the extra special tale of the Suicide Squad called Die Hard the Hunter! Coming soon after the conclusion of the "All Consuming Fire" storyline!

* * *

**Name: **Resurrection Man  
**Secret Identity:** Mitchell "Mitch" Shelly  
**Aliases:** None  
**First DC2 Appearance:**  
**Status:**  
**Base of Operations:** Belle Reve  
**Occupation:** Adventurer, Attorney  
**HT:** 6' 1"  
**WT:** 190 lbs.  
**Eyes:** Brown  
**Hair:** White with Blonde highlights  
**Powers and Abilities:** Each power is a result that is connected to his previous death. When he dies he loses his previous power and gains another. Sometimes his power is a protection from his last death i.e. flight after falling to his death. Some of his previous powers have included; Flight, harden air power including force blasts and floating, pyro-kinesis, emphatic skills, shape shifting. Nanotechnology using tiny robot constructs that are subatomic in size, rebuild Mitch one molecule at a time. They can repair anything the human body suffers from. They rebuild the body, in a sense they resurrect it. 

**History: **Mitch was a good lawyer but a bad person. He took mob clients and gave them the legal appearance of being legitimate. He covered up the bent cops dirty laundry. He ran a syndicate of corrupt cops, lawyers, and accountants. He was going to turn states evidence and go into the witness protection program. But his wife and law partner wanted to take over the operation. The mob agreed with the deal but wanted Shelly out of the way first. They hired a cheap out of town demolition guy to blow up the law office.

Mitch Shelly survived the blast. Afterwards he wandered the streets an amnesiac. He was soon after was picked up by a group who was gathering "homeless" people who wouldn't be missed by society.

A dying man was in charge of the mass experiment and needed to advance his research if he was going to find a cure. He worked for a private company that specialized in theoretical branch of robotics as an engineer. Mitch Shelly was the only one from over fifty people to survive the experiments.

Before the dying man could find out if Mitch Shelly could save his life, a government special ops team came in and shut them down, killing almost everyone, and jailing the rest. It was then that Shelly died the first time. Soon after he was taken into federal custody for the crimes be had committed in his "previous" life. He was given the choice, work for them or rot in jail. Mitch Shelly now works for the Suicide Squad. He considers himself just a regular guy trying to make sense of his life, even if he doesn't measure a lifetime like he used to. He still struggles with the fact that his wife and best friend tried to kill him. They are still out there and someday revenge will be served. Then he plans on going after the company that was in charge of the experiment that killed him.

* * *

**Name: **Vixen  
**Secret Identity:** Mari Jiwe McCabe  
**Aliases:** None  
**First DC2 Appearance:** Suicide Squad issue #1  
**Status:** Hero  
**Base of Operations:** Mobile  
**Occupation:** Model, Business executive, Adventurer  
**HT:** 5' 7"  
**WT:** 140  
**Eyes:** Brown  
**Hair:** Brown  
**Powers and Abilities:** A supernatural talisman called the Tatu Totem grants her the ability to mimic the powers of any animal. But she can only tap into one power at a time. 

**History:** Mari Jiwe Macabe had always been perceived as a woman who knew what she wanted and went after it. As a young woman in college, a local San Francisco photographer noticed her. He'd told her that she should drop out of college and concentrate on modeling full time. She didn't take his advice. Mari finished college and earned degrees in both business management and fashion design. She was well on her way to a successful career when she moved to New York and began to model full time. Financing her new business ambitions became easy with all of the modeling money that came in and she was quickly becoming everything she inspired to as a child. Mari hated stereotypes and never wanted to fall victim to what others thought she should be. Because her father traveled on business a lot, she was mostly raised by her mother. They weren't rich by any means, but they weren't poor either. By most standards, her family was what you'd call middle class.

She became aware of her family heritage at an early age. It was something she was proud of but never fully embraced. That was until she heard that her father had died under mysterious circumstances while away on business. She dropped everything and went home to be with her mother. It was shortly after the funeral that Mari was told about her family's true legacy. She was next in line to receive the Tatu Totem, last worn by her father. What she quickly discovered was that it granted her the ability to mimic the "powers" of animals. Soon after, she also discovered her father used these powers to fight against what he perceived to be evil forces throughout the world. Everything she thought she knew about her father, her family, and herself was put into question.

She began a journey to her ancestor's birthplace in Africa. When she emerged, she had a new purpose in life and that was to follow in her fathers' footsteps. Still early in her 'crime fighting' career, she was approached by Sarge Steel. He was the one who convinced her to join a larger, more powerful group who all fought for the same cause. Soon after Mari Macabe began leading a double life. She continued to model, but when she was needed, Steel would call upon her to work with him. It was Steel who first called her Vixen. Well, he'd actually called her a vixen, which literally translated means a woman regarded as quarrelsome, shrewish, or malicious. Mari liked it because it fit her perfectly.

She has spent several months with the Suicide Squad and begun to develop feelings for one of her teammates. Mari has been getting more confident with her ability's but she will soon encounter someone with similar powers that may change her life forever or end it entirely. Mari's fate will be revealed during the "All Consuming Fire" storyline.

* * *


End file.
